Local poultry industry angry at import tariff cuts
Chicken producers say ‘unjustified’ move comes as a double blow after bird flu
Local poultry producers have railed against the government’s tariff rebates for two categories of poultry imports, saying fears that South Africa faced a chicken shortage due to bird flu were groundless.
Chris Schutte, CEO of Astral Foods, the battered local poultry producer, said in a shareholder notice this week: “There is absolutely no shortage of chicken being experienced in the market, nor is any expected in the local supply chain with industry production at normalised levels due to numerous contingency plans implemented. This included the importation of fertile broiler hatching eggs at a great cost to the industry.” ..
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