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Brazil has developed a new and flourishing agricultural export market – the sale of cattle gallstones to Hong Kong and other Asian markets.

The South African poultry industry has called on agriculture minister John Steenhuisen to help protect poultry farmers from the renewed threat of disastrous bird flu outbreaks.

Despite considerable challenges, and the high risk of renewed bird flu outbreaks, the South African poultry industry believes 2025 should be a good year for farmers.

FairPlay has called on the South African government to make 2025 the year that millions of poor people are helped by the removal of value added tax (VAT) from selected chicken products.

The submission the government is considering, advocates the removal of VAT from the chicken products favoured by low-income households – frozen chicken portions and fresh and frozen chicken offal, such as heads, feet and livers.

With President Trump back in office in Washington, South African businesses are waiting nervously to see whether he ends the country’s benefits under the AGOA trade preference system for African countries.

Imposing anti-dumping duties on chicken imports had helped the local industry to recover, the South African Poultry Association (SAPA) told The Star newspaper.

If bird flu became transmissible between humans, its impact could be worse than the Covid-19 pandemic.

South Africa must not miss another opportunity to make nutritious chicken cheaper for millions of poor people.

More than 150 Nobel and World Food prize laureates have signed an open letter calling for “moonshot” efforts to ramp up food production before an impending world hunger catastrophe.

For the second year running, official statistics on the extent of South Africa’s agricultural decline have been challenged by the independent research organisation the Bureau for Food and Agricultural Policy (BFAP).

The government should make it a priority this year to release unused state land to black farmers, according to agricultural economist Wandile Sihlobo.

South Africa’s increasing meat consumption has largely been driven by rising demand for chicken, according to an analysis by the Animal Feed Manufacturers Association (AFMA).

South African agricultural producers will have to comply with the European Union’s strict new environmental regulations if they want to continue to export to the region.

Brazil registered yet another record year for poultry meat exports in 2024, with South Africa its fifth largest customer.

As President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office with a bold new tariff agenda, South Africa faces uncertainty over its AGOA benefits and broader trade relations with the United States.

This year could bring help to millions of poor South African families struggling to feed themselves and their children if the application for VAT-free chicken is approved by the government.

Bird flu, and the measures to counter it, are going to be key issues both domestically and internationally in 2025.

Global concerns are mounting over bird flu’s potential to mutate into a human-transmissible virus, with the United States grappling with outbreaks in dairy cows, rising human cases, and intensified monitoring efforts.

South Africa’s chicken imports are likely to hinge on the severity of bird flu outbreaks in producer countries, with 2025 import volumes poised to rise or fall depending on the disease’s impact.

BRICS welcomes nine new partner countries, further solidifying its global influence by encompassing half the world’s population and 41% of the global economy.

As we close out the year, we’re excited to be able to share FairPlay’s latest annual report with you.

The government should not waste its second opportunity to lower food prices for poor people by removing value-added tax (VAT) from chicken.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has repeated that it is government’s intention to increase the number of essential foods that are free of the country’s 15% value added tax.

In theory, Africa is creating the world’s largest free trade area. In practice, progress has been slow and it will be a long time before even limited benefits are realised.

World trade is going to be complicated in 2025, because US President-elect Trump sees tariffs not as a trade measure but as a stick to make other countries do what he wants.

Making chicken VAT-free is a practical, cost-effective, and socially just policy to alleviate poverty, improve nutrition, and drive economic growth. The potential revenue loss is small compared to the profound benefits for South Africa’s most vulnerable citizens.

The chicken products from which VAT should be removed have been carefully selected to have the most benefit for South Africa’s poorer households.

Chicken is rich in vitamins and other essential nutrients. Making it more affordable would help prevent stunting and malnutrition.

Because of widespread malnutrition, South Africa has one of the highest child stunting rates in the world. Stunting affects both the children concerned and reduces national economic growth, the VAT-free chicken proposal states.

The revenue lost by exempting chicken from VAT is relatively small and would be countered by benefits to poorer people and society as a whole, the proposal for VAT-free chicken states.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced a sweeping food safety crackdown on spaza shops in South Africa’s townships and informal settlements, as well as tighter regulations for general dealers and all food handling and distribution facilities.

The South African poultry industry is confident that VAT-free chicken would benefit low income households rather than affluent consumers, and believes the savings will be passed on by producers and retailers