David Wolpert forges a scrap-metal hammer to attack far and wide (“Death of the local scrap metal sector”, August 2). He bangs away at trade, industry & competition minister Ebrahim Patel, new scrap metal regulations, industry master plans and then includes the poultry sector.
This is a continuation of the attack that chicken importers, signatories to the poultry master plan in 2019, have instituted against the plan they committed to uphold and the minister primarily responsible for it.
Wolpert, a former CEO of the Association of Meat Importer & Exporters, had retired by the time the poultry master plan was finalised, but he has joined his successor in criticising it. During Wolpert’s time at the helm, there was a huge increase in dumped and predatory poultry imports, which harmed the local industry and costs thousands of local jobs.
He seems to think it reflects badly on the local poultry industry that we have seen a 2020 tariff increase on poultry from Brazil and other non-EU countries, and nine investigations by the International Trade Administration Commission of SA into predatory trade activities such as dumping, in 10 years. This activity happened in Wolpert’s time, and it is still happening. The current application for anti-dumping duties against Brazil and four EU countries relies on evidence from the past three years.
This shows that the industry, and the regulators, are doing what is needed: stopping unfairly priced chicken imports and levelling the playing field for a competitive local industry within the World Trade Organization rules.
Wolpert warns of hunger, poverty and unemployment. That, unfortunately, has been the result of the chicken imports that caused industry contraction, stopped expansion and put thousands out of work, often in impoverished rural communities.
Dumping happened on Wolpert’s watch. He shouldn’t be arguing for more of the same — it simply causes more of the same misery.
Francois Baird, FairPlay founder
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