The Association of Meat Importers and Exporters says permits take time to issue and even if they are expedited, it still takes weeks for imports to arrive on our shores.

A temporary rebate on import duties for chicken and poultry products is a good move for food security in South Africa, but if the International Trade Administration Commission (Itac) does not make a decision soon, consumers will see high prices and supply issues well into the new year, warns the Association of Meat Importers and Exporters (Amie).

The association welcomed the Department of Trade and Industry's (DTIC) directive that Itac create a temporary rebate on poultry imports, although it says that the 12-month rebate does not go far enough as avian influenza is now a regular occurrence and the country needs to secure food supply.

It believes that Itac should also develop a responsive and agile rebate permit mechanism that can be activated quickly when needed, without lengthy time-consuming processes and delays, to prevent future crises in the supply chain.

Amie warned since February 2023 that South Africa was at risk if and when the highly pathogenic avian flu (HPAI) reached our shores because the local poultry supply was inadequate and import duties were too onerous.

In April, Fred Hume of Hume International, a meat wholesaler in Gqeberha, called for the government to act on HPAI before it was...