Urgent call to reopen poultry imports amid supply crisis

The Association of Meat Importers and Exporters (AMIE) has urged the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development to immediately resume poultry imports from countries that have declared themselves free of Avian Influenza, in line with World Organisation for Animal Health guidelines.

These countries include France (February 4, 2025), Sweden (March 31, 2025), and both Denmark and Belgium (May 23, 2025). The last recorded imports from Denmark were in 2020, when South Africa imported an average of 1 384 metric tons of poultry products per month, including both poultry cuts and mechanically deboned meat (MDM).

AMIE on Wednesday also welcomed the Department of Agriculture’s commitment to make a determination on a partial lifting of the Brazilian import suspension by the end of this week.  This would be based on the fact that the Avian Flu outbreak is contained to the Rio Grande do Sol province in Brazil.  

Brazilian imports are currently halted due to the Avian Influenza outbreak in Rio Grande do Sol, which produces between 10% to 15% of all poultry in that country.  Since local producers are unable to meet total demand, particularly for poultry offal and MDM, which South Africa does not produce at scale, it is critical to diversify supply sources to ensure continued affordability, availability, and market stability, it said.

Imameleng Mothebe, the CEO of AMIE, said: “Opening access to each additional AI-free market will help alleviate some of the current poultry supply gap and reduce the growing economic and food security risks created by the current overall suspension of imports from Brazil.  Even with a partial lifting of the suspension of imports from Brazil, there will still be a shortfall that will need to be filled in order to maintain consumption demand in our country.  Opening additional markets not only fills this gap, but also future proofs South Africa against AI-related supply shortages.”

South African Meat Processors Association urged the  government to implement zoning (regionalisation) with all haste.

"One of our members, Sky Country Meats, has already been forced to lay off almost 100 employees, with more retrenchments to follow next week if imports of MDM are not restored as a matter of absolute urgency," it said.