Feathers ruffled at Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries parliamentary committee report back

The Parliamentary Monitoring Group reported on a meeting of the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries committee (February 13, 2018).

The South African Poultry Association (SAPA) briefed the Committee on the challenges facing the poultry industry. The outbreak of avian flu last year resulted in a loss of revenue amounting to R954 million in an industry whose total value was R46 billion. The industry had shed 1 300 jobs in 2017 due to the bird flu. The South African Poultry Association powerpoint presentation can be viewed at http://pmg.org.za/files/180213SAPA.pptx. It looks at issues like production, pricing, trade and the cost of the 2017 avian influenza.

A second presentation was done by the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF). The various representatives from the governing ANC, the DA, IFP, UDM and AIC ask (some very pointed) questions to clarify what DAFF had said, including an alleged misleading of former President Zuma to pronounce during the SONA 2017 that 450 black farmers would be commercialised during that year.

Read the meeting's discussion at https://pmg.org.za/committee-meeting/25773/

Find the Agri Handbook chapter on poultry here.