Government must scrap chicken import tariffs to keep hunger at bay
28 September 2023
The poultry sector is currently battling one of the most severe outbreaks of avian influenza in South African history. This compounds to pressures already faced by food producers due to the ongoing loadshedding crisis.
Both have already separately negatively impacted the industry but together they created substantial operational challenges throughout the entire poultry supply chain.
Millions of chickens have already been culled which has led to substantial financial losses for producers like Astral Foods, who has reported an estimated setback of R220 million. As a direct result, the market is already experiencing a shortage of table eggs and is likely to see a reduced supply of poultry meat in the coming months.
Poultry is supposed to be a primary and cost-effective protein source for millions in South Africa, yet the projected price increases will have already hard-pressed consumers digging even deeper into their pockets.