29 November 2023, Moneyweb, Amanda Visser
Government’s promises to assist the local poultry industry following the avian flu outbreak earlier this year have yet to materialise. The outbreak led to the culling of millions of birds, which caused a reduction of 30% in the production of hatching eggs.
Deputy President Paul Mashatile promised a support package for affected farmers a month ago, and Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition Ebrahim Patel asked for an urgent investigation into creating a rebate on poultry imports almost two months ago.
In the meantime, local producers started importing hatching eggs to alleviate the shortage.
Shortage or no shortage?
The Association of Meat Importers and Exporters (Amie) on Tuesday warned consumers that there will be a “ramp up” in poultry prices over the festive season and into the new year.
This is due to the cumulative effect of the shortages caused by the bird flu outbreak and the inability of the government to introduce a rebate on import tariffs timeously, says Paul Matthew, CEO of Amie.
