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Food shortages are always a big deal, especially when the foodstuff concerned is so crucial to our lives as eggs and poultry. These are the basic foodstuffs for the lower-income consumer in South Africa. Additionally, any kind of shortage has a ripple-effect through a country's economy, and the threat to South Africa's poultry and egg supply, caused by the large-scale culling of laying hens and broiler poultry due to the Avian Flu outbreak, is no different.
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What has become clear, is that this is not the seasonal HPAI that has occurred before. This is something new, and it poses an existential threat to our poultry industry and our food security. In order to get some background to this epidemic, listen to this podcast with veterinary consultant Dr Shahn Bisschop.
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In future, it can no longer be business as usual. Fred Hume of Hume International, has strong opinions on how government policy will have to change to meet this new challenge to our food security. You can listen to the interview here.
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The vexed question of import tariffs on poultry in order to protect local poultry producers is another issue that is becoming more important. In order to clear up the misinformation that is circulated regarding tariffs, we have compiled a comprehensive Fact Sheet that tells you everything you need to know.
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And as usual, our weekly Poultry Analysis brings you a curation of the week's news.
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Poultry Analysis 23 October 2023
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The announcement by Agriculture Minister Thoko Didiza - that South Africa will import huge amounts of poultry and eggs to mitigate food shortages- has mystified importers. Most markets are still closed to South African poultry imports - both chicken and eggs. This is because South African authorities have yet to clear them from Avian Flu (HPAI) embargoes that should have …
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In our Fact Sheet, we deal with the complex and much-misrepresented issue of import tariffs - to read, click on the image below.
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No Longer Business as Usual
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Unless South Africa is prepared to accept a future where chicken become a luxury foodstuff, it cannot be business as usual in the face of the unprecedented avian flu (Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, HPAI) that is currently decimating our poultry industry.
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