South Africa risks a mid-winter food security crisis after banning chicken imports from Brazil amid an avian flu outbreak, says Arnold Prinsloo, CEO of meat producer Eskort.
Mechanically deboned chicken meat from Brazil is used by Eskort and its competitors to make Polony, Viennas, Russians and Braaiwors, and Prinsloo says production lines will come to a standstill before the end of June if the ban on Brazilian chicken is not lifted.
“This will deprive South Africa’s most vulnerable citizens of more than 400 million low-cost meals per month,” said Prinsloo. “Vulnerable families and thousands of school feeding schemes rely heavily on polony, and there is a real danger of widespread hunger and malnutrition if Eskort and its competitors cannot sustain supplies.”
Prinsloo urged the Department of Agriculture, which imposed the Brazil ban on 15 May, to follow the example of Namibia and Mozambique by narrowing the ban to chicken from Rio Grande Do Sul, the only state affected by avian flu.
“The rest of Brazil can be regarded as safe, and a pragmatic and proactive decision to accept imports on that basis will go a long way to heading off the looming crisis in South Africa,” he said.
Prinsloo called on the Department of Agriculture to rapidly process Brazil’s application for a zoning agreement, which will allow it to apply for recognition of disease-free zones. “Brazil has indicated that it has submitted the necessary documentation and information to the department, but formal recognition and implementation remain outstanding,” he said.
Industry bodies, including the Association of Meat Importers and Exporters and the South African Meat Processors Association, have also urged the government to adopt a regionalised approach, in line with World Organisation for Animal Health guidelines.
“This will allow trade from unaffected regions of Brazil to continue, preserving supply chains while protecting public health,” said Prinsloo.
Japan, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Philippines are among countries that have adopted zoning strategies, allowing them to continue importing poultry from safe areas of Brazil while restricting products from affected zones.
Prinsloo says South Africa imports about 19 000 tonnes of mechanically deboned chicken from Brazil every month. “Once combined with other ingredients, such as fat, water and binders, 1kg of meat yields about 2,13 kg of finished meat products,” he said. Assuming a 100g portion size per meal, this translates to more than 404 million meals per month.
“This estimate does not consider factors such as wastage, formulation differences across manufacturers, or products that use higher meat inclusion,” he said. “That means the actual impact on the food system and vulnerable communities could be significantly higher than estimated.”
The 4–6-week gap in supply because of the ban will also mean many processors faced standing idle for more than 60 days, risking heavy job losses and instability in the lower LSM consumer segment. “This is not only a supply chain crisis, but also a pending socio-economic and political disaster,” said Prinsloo.
He disputed claims from South African poultry producers that they have the capacity to make up the chicken shortfall. “It may be true when it comes to fresh or frozen chicken, but the local market doesn’t produce mechanically deboned meat in any significant quantity,” he said. “We rely on Brazil for 92% of our needs, which is why this is such a serious challenge.”
Eskort’s manufacturing processes add a further layer of protection for consumers worried about avian flu, said Prinsloo. “Heating mechanically deboned meat to more than 70°C will yield a safe product. This is standard in our production process, and it’s one of the reasons Eskort has not had any food safety issues in its 108-year history.”
