The global avian flu pandemic has placed food security at risk in South Africa.
Fred Hume, Managing Director of Hume International, said: “As a result, the global bird flu outbreak is posing a significant risk to the country’s food security, especially given the dependence of many households on chicken as an affordable protein. The outbreak has already reached countries such as Argentina – which represents real cause for alarm given that the country is neighbours with Brazil, the biggest source of imported chicken in South Africa.”
Imported chicken provides a crucial complement to local production for satisfying local demand.
Hume further said that it is not a matter of if but when Brazil will face a bird-flu outbreak – and the consequences may prove to be dire for South Africa’s poultry supply.
He says that South Africa urgently needs to agree on a heat treatment protocol for mechanically de-boned meat (MDM) in case of a bird flu outbreak, such as the protocol currently in place for pork sourced from approved markets abroad.
‘’Brazil supplies the country with more than half of our imported poultry meat. By comparison, the United States of America provides only 10% to 15% of our imports annually. In general, MDM is already subjected to heat treatment to reduce the risk of microbial contamination and improve its safety for consumption. The process typically involves cooking meat at a high temperature for a specific period of time. And while the presence of bird flu typically does not impact the safety of poultry for human consumption, having such a protocol in place could simultaneously safeguard MDM supply chains while setting consumers’ minds at ease,“ he further said.
With consumers already feeling the pressures on their wallets as the cost of living crisis spirals out of control in South Africa, an outbreak could see further price increases.
Data revealed on Friday showed that the average price of a household food basket was over R5 000 in April.
This was according to the April 2023 Household Affordability Index compiled by the Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice and Dignity (PMBEJD) group. The average cost of the Household Food Basket is R5 023,95.
“Without this, South Africans should brace for impact, as the serious threat of an outbreak in Brazil could have a devastating impact on local supply chains, significantly driving up prices or even causing shortages,” Hume says.
Prices are about to get out of hand
“To emphasise the urgency of the situation, poultry is an important, high-protein, low-cost food staple for the majority of South Africans. Any increases in this vital food’s price would therefore have a severe impact on vulnerable low-income households, who already spend a significant portion of their monthly budgets on food. We are already in a difficult situation locally,’’ he said.
The Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice and Dignity Group reported in its March 2023 Household Affordability Index that frozen chicken portions saw an average price increase of 9% relative to the same period last year.
“Chicken feet, gizzards, and chicken livers saw a rise of 11%, 10%, and 5%, respectively, over the same period. This is in addition to the meteoric price increases of other important foods such as cooking oil at 16%, samp at 24%, maize meal at 26%, and potatoes at 52%, to name but a few. A sharp hike in prices from chicken suppliers or a marked shortage of supply will have a devastating effect on our economy and lead to increased food scarcity. Usually, local producers can offset import food shortages and slow runaway prices with local supply, but South Africa simply does not produce enough poultry to meet local demand and be price competitive. Additionally, the local industry is facing enormous cost-pressures as a result of power, water, and infrastructure challenges,” Hume said.
Hume called on the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform, and Rural Development (DALRRD) to ban entire countries when they face a bird flu outbreak, although it has a special provision in place for America.
“Beyond implementing effective heat treatment protocols, we are appealing to government to enact a similar policy with regards to Brazil as it does with America, and only ban imports from individual states impacted by bird flu, as opposed to a blanket country-wide ban. Additionally, once a country has been declared bird flu-free, DALRRD must be more proactive than they have in the past in reinstating import permits for that particular country. In some cases, bans have remained on countries for years after they have been declared bird flu-free,” he further said.
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