South African poultry producers have invested more than $60 Million in Expansion

[caption id="attachment_5315" align="aligncenter" width="1014"] File Photo[/caption] South African poultry producers have invested more than half of what they pledged as part of a so-called master plan to boost the industry as they raised tariffs to tackle cheaper imports earlier this year. Around 1 billion rand ($60.2 million) of the 1.7 billion rand pledged for expansion by 2022 has already been invested and 5% more chickens are being produced for slaughter each week, Izaak Breitenbach, a general manager of the South African Poultry Association, said Tuesday (September 22, 2020) in an emailed statement. South Africa’s government and industry representatives signed off on the strategy for the industry in November. At the time, companies committed to investing 1.5 billion rand in production facilities by the end of this year and a further 1.7 billion rand toward setting up 50 contract farming operations. Together, the investments should create as many as 4,600 jobs. Poultry is the second largest component of South African agriculture. The industry employs about 110,000 people. Last March the government increased import duties on frozen bone-in and boneless chicken pieces from all countries excluding members of the European Union and South Africa's development community. Source: Online/SZK