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South African poultry prices declined in January as demand weakened after the December peak, according to the Bureau for Food and Agricultural Policy (BFAP).

A South African meat producer hopes expansion into Saudi Arabia will help double South Africa’s beef exports.

The decision to approve tariff rebates on thousands of tonnes of chicken imports is unbelievable and must be reversed.

A tariff restructure to curb illegal chicken imports was considered urgent four years ago. Since then, nothing has happened.

Quantum foods, South Africa’s largest egg producer, expects the country’s egg supply to remain constrained for much of this year as the industry recovers from last year’s avian influenza (bird flu) outbreaks.

Amidst unprecedented challenges, South Africa’s vital industries face an additional hurdle: burdensome market inquiries risking further setbacks and hampered competitiveness.

In the past two years, avian influenza (bird flu) has encompassed the world, from east to west and now also from north to south.

The newspaper Business Day has come out in strong opposition to the Competition Commission’s market inquiry system, and in particular to the latest one into the poultry industry.

In its poultry probe, the Competition Commission should acknowledge findings from the Bureau for Food and Agricultural Policy’s 2021 study, which shows that the agriculture sector has one of the lowest market concentration levels in South Africa.

Year-end imports statistics for 2023 confirm that South Africa’s poultry imports showed their first annual increase in four years, ending a steady decline in import volumes.

South African food inflation dropped to 8.5% in December 2023, however concerns remain over rising grain prices and the impact of the El Niño weather pattern.

South Africa faces the possibility of a review of its Agoa membership by the US Congress, with concerns over potential implications for the country’s access to US markets.

South Africa’s poultry industry is in for a tough 2024, as the government introduces measures to discount chicken imports, and launches an inquiry into the local poultry market. This adds to the numerous challenges faced by local chicken farmers who have already suffered enormous losses due to bird flu and load-shedding.

The South African government’s unexpected inquiry into the local poultry market has sparked disbelief among analysts and role-players. The South African Poultry Association says that it could exacerbate existing challenges faced by the industry.

Chris Schutte, CEO of Astral Foods, says the recent announcement of a poultry market inquiry was an unjustified assault on the industry, stressing that the struggling poultry sector needs support and investment, not further scrutiny.

South African poultry producers and importers are at odds over the introduction of rebates in chicken import tariffs. Producers fear a surge in imports, while importers express concern that the rebates might not materialise due to stringent conditions set by the trade regulator.

The announced rebates on poultry imports have sparked confusion and concern among stakeholders, with discrepancies emerging between what South Africa’s trade regulator has announced and what was initially proposed.

FairPlay has urged South Africa’s finance minister Enoch Godongwana to consider removing the 15% value-added tax (VAT) from locally produced chicken portions, stressing the urgency to make chicken more affordable for low-income households

The South African poultry industry voices its discontent over proposed import tariff rebates amidst a surplus of chicken, highlighting concerns about import policies and their potential effects on local producers and consumers.

Recently announced import tariff rebates could have unintended consequences on the local poultry industry, as highlighted by XA Global Trade Advisors. Their analysis shows a discrepancy between gazetted tariff reductions and the original intentions of trade regulator, ITAC.

FairPlay has urged Trade Minister Ebrahim Patel to abandon his proposed import rebate scheme, warning that it could devastate South Africa’s poultry industry.

The South African poultry industry says the strict conditions farmers must meet before they can vaccinate their chickens against bird flu will prevent large numbers of poultry producers getting permits to vaccinate their flocks.

In the middle of the controversy over the proposed rebates on chicken import tariffs came some encouraging news for the South African poultry industry.

South Africa’s food price inflation dropped in December and economists expect it to continue to decline in 2024.

South Africa’s inaugural shipments under the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCTFA) mark a pivotal moment in continental economic integration, yet challenges persist, notably conflicts and coups disrupting trade flows, according to AfCTFA Secretary-General Wamkele Mene.

It’s only just started, but 2024 has already delivered a huge mystery – why has the government authorised rebates on chicken import tariffs to counter a shortage which doesn’t exist?

An angry South African poultry industry has urged the government not to approve any applications for tariff rebates on chicken imports.

Trade and industry minister Ebrahim Patel had “kicked the poultry industry when it’s down,” FairPlay said in a statement in reaction to tariff rebates for chicken imports.

For a government minister to introduce import tariff rebates to solve a problem that did not exist was “irrational” and “astonishing”, FairPlay founder Francois Baird said in a radio interview with Moneyweb.

Chicken importers still haven’t committed to passing on lower prices that may result from the rebates on import tariffs that the government plans to implement.

Importers welcome tariff rebates, but their emphasis on pricing overlooks that imports make up only 20% of the local chicken market, raising concerns about the impact on local producers and jobs.

Guidelines published this week put an annual cap of 172 000 tonnes on the amount of chicken meat that could be subject to rebates on the applicable import tariffs. This is nearly equal to the total amount imported last year under these tariff headings.

Despite hopes that 2024 will be a better year for South Africa’s battling poultry farmers, the industry starts with a number of problems unresolved from the previous year.