The achievements of black-owned, viable commercial poultry businesses will be recognised at a meeting of the Poultry Masterplan Executive Oversight Committee (EOC), which will be held on Thursday.
The meeting will be led by Trade, Industry and Competition Deputy Minister Zuko Godlimpi and Deputy Minister of Agriculture Nokuzola Capa, at Phetogo Grootspruit Broiler Farm, in Bronkhorstspruit.
The black-owned poultry businesses to be recognised at the gathering include contract growers, feed mills, hatcheries, abattoirs and processors.
The accomplishments of these commercial producers are seen as a reflection of ongoing progress in transforming South Africa’s poultry industry through the implementation of the Poultry Masterplan.
The Executive Oversight Committee meeting will also recognise the contribution of enabling partners to the success of these black-owned businesses.
“These partners include poultry off takers, development finance institutions and industry associations. Furthermore, the use of the Proudly SA logo on the packaging of several retail brands reflects a commitment to the Buy Local poultry campaign, which reinforces this initiative,” the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition said on Tuesday.
The EOC meeting will also formally consider and adopt the Poultry Masterplan Phase 2 Framework Agreement to signal a renewed and strengthened implementation partnership for the masterplan.
Phase 2 seeks to pursue an export-driven growth strategy for South African poultry, and thus advance its contribution to the economy.
Phase 2 continues on the back of the achievements of Phase 1, which sought to address high feed costs, reduce export barriers, localise poultry consumption, and reduce imports primarily from Brazil, the European Union and the United States of America.
“The core pillars of Phase 2 include achieving exports of cooked meat and local demand increase strategies, ensuring effective trade measures, ensuring biosecurity measures for local and export markets, and transforming the entire value chain of the poultry industry, among others.
“The plan also aims to tackle food security and malnutrition by improving the affordability of poultry for lower-income households, while providing funding and support to contract farmers, poultry processors, and small businesses. Job creation, job loss mitigation and transformation remain key cross-cutting priorities,” the department said.
The poultry industry is the largest contributor to the agricultural sector, with a total annual gross value of production of almost R87.95 billion (R72.09 billion in meat and R15.86 billion in eggs) in 2024.
The industry accounted for 19.1% of the total agricultural gross value and 44.4% of animal products gross value. – SAnews.gov.za
