SA meat processors body urges swift action to lift Brazil poultry ban as job losses mount
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The South African Meat Processors Association (Sampa) has welcomed signs of progress in efforts to lift the ban on poultry and poultry-product imports from Brazil but has warned urgent action is needed to prevent further job losses and a shortage of affordable protein products.
The government has banned poultry products from the South American country, which recently announced a bird flu outbreak in one of its regions.
The agriculture department confirmed this week steps are being taken to resolve the import suspension, which was imposed in response to an outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), or bird flu, in Brazil.
Sampa acknowledged the government's response and engagement but stressed that zoning — or regionalisation — must be implemented without delay to allow imports from unaffected areas of Brazil to resume.
“We urge the government to implement zoning (regionalisation) with all haste as the ban has placed more than 125,000 jobs at risk in the manufacturing sector, on top of the grave threat it poses to South Africa's food security.”
Sampa member Sky Country Meats has already laid off nearly 100 workers.
“With more retrenchments to follow next week if imports of mechanically deboned meat (MDM) are not restored as a matter of absolute urgency,” it said.
MDM is used in the manufacture of polony, viennas, russians, braai wors, bangers, frozen burgers, meat pies and corned meat.
South Africa does not produce MDM in any significant quantity and is forced to import the commodity. Brazil is the largest producer of MDM in the world, with 95% of MDM imported in the past 12 years coming from the South American powerhouse.
“Sampa has been engaging the agriculture department for more than two years about the threat posed by HPAI and we call on the government to have a more proactive policy framework in place to better deal with future outbreaks.”
Sampa reiterated its readiness to partner with government and other stakeholders to design and implement a framework which will better insulate South Africa's food value chain and protect jobs.
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