A new poultry sector master plan that will benefit everyone in the industry has been welcomed by the Association of Meat Importers and Exporters (AMIE).
“The master plan is an industry framework that will ensure that chicken, which has become a staple protein in millions of local homes, will retain its place as South Africa’s favourite food. Through the master plan, more opportunities are also expected to be created to enable small-scale farmers to establish a foothold in the sector,” said Paul Matthew, CEO of AMIE.
He added that the master plan also considered several structural and other problems within the industry.
The master plan, which was drawn up by the Department of Trade and Industry, set a number of targets to be met by 2023. In order to reach these targets, a number of detailed actions would be implemented.
These actions had been identified through the ‘five pillars’ that were instrumental in refocusing the poultry sector and building its future, said Matthew.
The first pillar included the establishment of partnerships to increase production and availability of feed, while simultaneously ensuring that workers were provided with training and development opportunities.
The second pillar entailed driving domestic demand and the affordability of local broiler products.
The third pillar concerned the establishment of the safety and veterinary requirements within markets, and offering producers opportunities for exporting their chicken products.
The fourth pillar was the introduction of measures to enhance the regulatory environment and ensure compliance.
“This will include making products traceable and announcing measures to ensure that the industry as a whole complies with trade requirements,” explained Matthew.
The last pillar aimed to protect the local chicken industry by considering specific, rather than ad valorem tariffs; simplifying trade systems; undertaking anti-dumping measures where appropriate; and considering the introduction of import licenses to support compliance.
“AMIE fully supports the introduction of the plan. We are committed to fully participating in a process that holds benefits for the entire poultry sector and will guarantee that chicken remains the staple, affordable meat of choice for South African consumers.
