Poultry producers slam 'irrational' regulations

The new maximum brine
limit in chicken as set
out by the Department of
Agriculture, Forestry and
Fisheries
(Daff) will
have severe
consequences
for local
agricultural
production.
SA Poultry
Association
(Sapa) CEO
Kevin Lovell
said the
regulations
as gazetted
by Daff
in April
would impact significantly
on poultry producers as
chicken would be rendered
unaffordable for the poor
while the impact on the soy
and maize industry would
be significant.
He said the regulations,
which were best described
as irrational and
“technically fraught”,
would increase
the cost of poultry
production by 19%.
“Using 2015 financial
data our estimates are that
it will reduce
profit by at
least 17.5%,”
he said. “At
the same
time if one
takes into
account that
the poultry
industry is
the second
biggest user
of maize
in the
country – in
addition to
our soya usage – then these
regulations will weaken
the outlook for soya bean
processing and maize
production.”
The amended regulations
set the maximum brine
limit for individually quick
frozen (IQF) and fresh
chicken portions at 15%
and for whole chicken
at 10%. Previously the
maximum for
whole chickens
was 8% and
no limit on the
portions. Producers
have been given
six months to
adjust the levels
of brine injection
and to bring
labelling of products
in line with the new
requirements.
“We have been pushing
government for ten years
to look at the regulations
and amend them to
ensure the country had
regulations that were
firstly enforceable and
secondly being monitored
continuously,” he said. “The
new regulations will not
achieve this at all. At the
same time it is deceptive as
the aim of the regulations
we were calling for was
to ensure that all people
in the poultry value chain
were benefiting and that
consumers knew what they
were buying. This is not
going to be achieved.”
He said the scientific‚
technical and economic
information Sapa had
supplied on brining had
essentially been ignored
by Daff. “There were
no impact assessments
conducted by Daff on the
effects of the regulations
on consumers‚ retailers or
poultry producers.” Lovell
said Sapa would contest
the amendments and were
engaging with the minister
directly.
He said left to be
implemented in their
current form the size of
the largest sector of local
agricultural production
would be significantly
reduced.
He said discussions with
Daff had already started.
A spokesman for Daff
said the department would
not hesitate to review the
gazetted poultry meat
regulations if necessitated
by either scientific research
outcomes or objective
rationale.
He said in the meantime
the regulations were valid
and producers were obliged
to not only adjust brine
injections accordingly but
also perform regular tests
to ensure compliance –
and keep records for at
least one year for auditing
purposes.
INSERT & CAPTION
Using 2015 financial
data our estimates
are that it will reduce
profit by at least
17.5%.
– Kevin Lovell