The Association of Meat Importers and Exporters of Southern Africa says that the government needs to take emergency action and treat the ongoing chicken and egg crisis as a crisis, or else consumers will continue to suffer the brunt of shortages in the country.
Notably, 30% of the national broiler breeder population have been culled. These are the parent birds that produce the genetic stock for the overall chicken population. While the government has issued directives on temporary rebates on imports and appears to have mobilised to address the situation, the AMIE noted that this is not being seen on the ground – and now risks further delays from those opposed to the measures.
“The sooner that we start behaving like we’re in a crisis, the sooner we can address the crisis, and we are just not seeing that behaviour yet,” the group said. While the local poultry industry has initiated measures to address the shortages, like importing over 50 million hatching eggs over the next six months, the reality is that there is a shortage now, which will persist for some time to come, the group said.