South Africa experiences a dramatic rise in poultry imports, with frozen chicken imports increasing by 136% in early 2026 compared to the previous year. This article explores the implications for local producers and the broader poultry industry.
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The FairPlay Movement has raised alarm over a sharp rise in poultry imports into South Africa in early 2026, warning that the trend could threaten local producers if it continues.
According to FairPlay, frozen chicken imports have surged significantly, with bone-in portions—such as leg quarters that directly compete with locally produced products—rising by 136% in the first two months of 2026 compared to the same period last year.
While the overall volumes remain relatively low compared to previous peaks, particularly the one that sent the industry into crisis in 2017 and 2018, the pace of increase has sparked concern within the industry.
“However, bone-in imports have been rising since September last year, and import statistics for February show that warning lights should be flashing.”
FairPlay said that offal imports, another area of competition with domestic producers, have soared to record levels in recent years.
“Offal products include chicken heads, feet, gizzards and livers. Offal volumes have increased substantially over the past five years, doubling from 43,000 tons in 2017 to 86,000 tons in 2023. They rose further to new record highs of 95,000 tons in 2024 and 103,000 tons in 2025.”
It added that Brazil, the United States, and Argentina have all increased their supplies of bone-in portions significantly this year compared to 2025.
“Anti-dumping duties, the Covid-19 pandemic, and widespread outbreaks of bird flu in Europe and North America combined to give local farmers some respite from the relentless onslaught they endured up to 2018. Bone-in imports peaked then at 287,000 tons. They were down to 40,000 tons in 2024, but the downturn reversed with a rise to 50,000 tons last year,” said FairPlay.
“Bone-in imports in January were up by 82% on the previous year, and in February they were up by 183% on an annual basis. The months ahead will show whether a new onslaught of chicken imports is building up. Supplies from Brazil have increased significantly, the US is raising volumes despite continued bird flu outbreaks across the country, and Argentina weighed in before it was hit by a bird flu ban at the end of February.”
FairPlay added that imports from the European Union so far have been zero this year because of multiple outbreaks of bird flu in EU countries.
“However, the northern hemisphere winter months of peak bird flu activity are over, and as warmer weather spreads across Europe, bird flu incidents will abate. Two EU countries are already seeking to have South African bird flu bans lifted, and others will follow,” it said.
Brazil, the United States, and seven European countries are subject to South African anti-dumping duties. FairPlay said the question for the poultry industry in 2026 is whether this will be enough to protect local producers from rising volumes of dumped chicken imports.
Izaak Breitenbach, CEO of the South African Poultry Association, said that South African chicken is the second cheapest chicken in the world and there is no need to import expensive chicken and export jobs that could have been local.
“The industry is not concerned at this stage because we are very competitive. What we are concerned about is the loss in economic growth and jobs due to imports,” he said.
Breitenbach believes despite the increase in frozen imports, there is still an opportunity to grow the local industry.
“The industry has shown time and time again that it can replace imports and grow. We have grown from a slaughter of 19.7 million birds per week in 2019 to 23 million birds per week in 2025. The industry would urge consumers to buy local and put us in a position to produce even more cost-competitive products.”
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