POULTRY Hopes for poultry sector growth, despite challenges

Significant investments in South Africa’s poultry sector are expected to accelerate its transformation, thereby creating a significant number of jobs. Susan Marais reports.

-  Susan Marais

The South African Poultry Association (SAPA) plans to expand the sector over the next two years through investments totalling R900 million, according to Izaak Breitenbach, general manager of SAPA’s Broiler Organisation.

This was despite failing infrastructure around the country, threats of disease outbreaks, and the ongoing ‘dumping’ of imported poultry products on the domestic market, as well as South Africa’s poor economic situation.

Breitenbach added that this funding was part of the R2,4 billion investment that the local poultry sector had vowed to make in accordance with the Poultry Master Plan.

“Since the signing of the master plan in 2019, the private sector has already invested R1,5 billion [in the poultry sector],” he told Farmer’s Weekly.

He added that this investment had resulted in a 10% increase in production capacity and the creation of 2 600 direct and indirect jobs since 2019.

“This is a material acceleration of the industry’s transformation, and we believe the broiler crop will continue to grow as a result of the increase in production capacity,” he said.

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