This comes as one of South Africa’s biggest poultry producers, Rainbow Chickens, is expected to retrench in excess of 1000 employees.

CEO of the SA Poultry Association, Kevin Lovell, says several thousand jobs have gone lost in the industry over the last few years. He says the industry is no longer facing difficulties, it is in crisis:

“Last year alone, a family owned company in Limpopo, had to give up after 38 years in the business.

“Up to now, it’s been largely what we would call the small and medium producers who’ve taken the brunt of the impact of the imports. For the first time it’s one of the big companies, Rainbow. For many people, Rainbow and chicken mean the same thing.”

Lovell says in addition to letting go of half its managers and staff, Rainbow has also sold two thirds of its farms.

Lovell says it is not fair that South Africa ends up being a giant waste receptacle for overseas producers:

“The key problem is that of all the stuff that is exported to South Africa, only about 3% is what people consider prime product. The rest is stuff that people in the country of manufacture don’t want to eat.

“We are a giant waste receptacle for other people’s unwanted goods. That’s the problem. How do we fix that? I think trade remedies are certainly not the only, nor the best, way to do it.”

The march takes place in Pretoria on Wednesday, February 1.

Lovell says it has been organised by the Food and Allied Worker’s Union, Fawu. He says Sapa and other industry stakeholders will also be supporting the march.

- OFM News