South Africa Reviews Poultry Policy Amid Agoa Benefit Loss
The South African government is reviewing poultry import policies following the withdrawal of Agoa benefits while rejecting a ban on Brazilian poultry imports.
The South African government is reviewing its poultry policy after the impending withdrawal of African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) benefits. Local producers are calling for a review of a 2015 American chicken import concession, although critics caution that removing these benefits may raise retail prices for consumers.
Despite a Newcastle disease outbreak in Brazil, Wandile Sihlobo, the presidential envoy on agriculture and land, announced that the government will not implement a blanket ban on poultry imports from the country. Brazil is a critical trade partner, supplying approximately 70 percent of South Africa's annual poultry imports, which total about 350,000 tonnes.
The South African Poultry Association supported the decision to maintain imports. Izaak Breitenbach, the association's CEO, expressed confidence in the safety systems governing imported meat. Sihlobo further stated that "South Africans can be assured that poultry meat they find in stores is safe."
