Poultry shortages, high prices to persist despite end of Brazil ban
There are warnings that poultry product shortages and high prices will continue, despite South Africa having lifted the ban on Brazilian imports.
A bird flu outbreak in a region of the South American country triggered the ban.
The ban had cut off 95% of the country’s mechanically deboned meat supply, the main ingredient in polony and Vienna sausages.
" The prices of mechanically deboned meat have already soared by over 140%," says Georg Southey, who is the manager at the Pinetown-based Merlog Foods.
READ: Call for regional approach to Brazil bird flu
"Millions of meals have been lost, and it'll take months before supply stabilises. South Africa remains vulnerable to future food disruptions until it agrees on a regionalisation protocol. This allows unaffected regions to continue trading during disease outbreaks."
Southey says the government needs to work on a regional deal with Brazil, so future outbreaks don’t halt all exports.
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