Proudly South African, the country’s official buy local advocacy campaign, has for a number of years been working closely with its member companies operating in the poultry and grain sector, as well as with the industry body (SA Poultry Association), organised labour and Fairplay, to lobby against the unfair dumping specifically of frozen bone in chicken pieces that constantly flood our market.
The SA Poultry Association has now taken out an application against Brazil, Poland, Ireland, Denmark and Spain for illicit dumping and the International Trade Administration Commission (ITAC) agrees that there is a case to be heard.
Proudly SA applauds the gravity with which ITAC and the dtic view this threat to South Africa’s poultry sector, and like the industry at large and stakeholders including Fair Play who have done such good work in support of the chicken industry, we hope for the swift conclusion of the investigation and imposition of stiff tariffs against these countries.
The predatory trade by these and other countries has stifled growth in a sector that has enormous potential for expansion and job creation. Instead, because of the immoral practice of dumping, livelihoods in the industry have been lost with between 20-30% of our consumption of chicken accounted for by imports.
“This is a time when we can least afford to lose a single job. We are already contending with the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic across the entire economy, and we cannot allow foreign countries to dump their unwanted products on us, thereby decimating an entire sector,” said Proudly SA CEO, Eustace Mashimbye.
Proudly South African, in support of the dtic driven Poultry Master Plan, ran a festive season social media campaign over December and January to drive awareness of the importance of buying local poultry products and will continue to support its members and the sector as a whole in the protection of much needed jobs.
Enquiries:
Deryn Graham
Cell: 083 289 0997
Tel: 011 327 7778
E-mail: Deryn@proudlysa.co.za
