INDUSTRY CRISIS
Poultry sector foxes public by crying wolf
Producers want South Africans to believe their industry is on the verge of collapse, writes Georg Southey
We must protect our borders from the ravages of other countries making our products, stealing our companies and destroying our jobs. Protection will lead to great prosperity and strength." You’d be forgiven for thinking this opening quote is from a local poultry CEO. But those words were spoken by US President Donald Trump in his January inauguration speech. The chicken industry has been bleeding jobs. Producers want South Africans to believe that imported poultry is the reason for this problem and that protectionist policies are the only answer to fix it. These producers are crying wolf. They want South Africans to believe their industry is on the verge of collapse and that only tariffs on imported chicken can steady their sinking ship. Imports are not to blame, but inefficiencies in the local industry could be. Tariffs won’t save jobs; they’ll just make it more difficult for poor people to buy affordable protein. On January 4, a Financial Times editorial warned that should Trump p...
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