The movement also welcomes the prosecution of 11 former employees of the Brazilian poultry processor, BRF SA. This comes after Reuters reported BRF SA, the world's largest chicken exporter, is currently under criminal investigation by Brazilian federal prosecutors for allegedly evading food safety checks. The former employees have been formally charged. Among those charged are two former vice-presidents. Francois Baird, founder of FairPlay, says this is not a new issue, as there have been complaints about Brazilian food-safety procedures before. He says FairPlay urged authorities to take action during the WEak Flesh scandal of 2017, but the ban was eventually lifted. As a result Brazilian chicken imports have flooded into South Africa in record volumes.

The National Hunting and Shooting Association (NHSA) wants to set aside the firearm amnesty that came into effect on December 1 this year. Executive chair, Dr Herman Els, says an urgent court application is to be submitted to the North Gauteng High Court in an effort to force police to consult with firearm stakeholders towards implementing a sensible amnesty, taking the needs of law-abiding firearm owners into consideration. Els says this comes after police refused to enter into sensible negotiations with stakeholders over the past 28 months. According to him the NHSA is convinced the current amnesty holds nothing good for law-abiding firearm owners while it will be used as a vehicle to put unreasonable pressure on these owners to surrender firearms with lapsed licences at police stations. Els says the fact that owners may apply for a new license under the amnesty within 14 days after handing in a firearm, can take months while there is uncertainty if police will evaluate the application.

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Changes in weather patterns and funding for various programs and projects in the farming sector were some of the biggest challenges in the industry the past year. This is according to the chairman of the African Farmers Association of South Africa, (AFASA), Neo Masithela, reflecting over challenges that faced the industry the past year. He says other issues that were brought to light during the association’s Transformation Conference held outside Bloemfontein in October this year, was access to markets which is a critical issue that farmers have to deal with.

OFM News/Christal-Lize Muller and Blaine Jones