Neelam Rahim | neelam@radioislam.co.za
3-minute read
28 May 2025 | 16:53 CAT

Avian flu outbreak in Brazil threatens South Africa’s food security as poultry imports plummet, prompting urgent calls for government action to prevent rising prices and job losses.

An outbreak of avian influenza in Brazil’s Rio state has raised red flags for South Africa’s food security and economy, with serious implications for the poultry industry and low-income households. The Association of Meat Importers and Exporters (AMIE) is calling for urgent government intervention to mitigate the crisis.

Speaking to Radio Islam International, AMIE CEO Imamleng Mothebe warned that Brazil’s dominance in global poultry exports—particularly in mechanically deboned meat (MDM)—makes this outbreak a critical concern. “We import 18,000 metric tons of MDM monthly, used in sausages, rations, and colognes, along with 4,000 tons of chicken feet, 467 tons of chicken livers and 1,500 tons of dessert cuts,” Mothebe noted.

This volume is far beyond what local producers can supply. “Local producers say they’ll ramp up production by a million birds a week, which is about four million a month. But to meet current demand just for chicken feet, we’d need 54 million birds monthly. The math doesn’t add up,” he said.

The avian flu outbreak has already impacted prices. “In just one week, MDM prices jumped from R13 to R31 per kilogram,” Mothebe revealed. “That’s devastating for consumers, especially low-income households that rely on affordable protein sources.”

Mothebe explained that countries globally are shifting toward regionalisation—a concept endorsed by the World Organisation for Animal Health—which allows trade to continue from unaffected regions of a country during outbreaks. “Imagine closing all of South Africa because there’s a chicken flu outbreak in Limpopo. That’s essentially what’s happening with Brazil.”

While countries like Russia, Namibia, and Kazakhstan have already established regional trade agreements with Brazil, South Africa lags behind. “We’ve been urging government for two years to act on regionalisation. There’s no progress, and now we’re facing the consequences,” Mothebe said.

He stressed the long-term risks if supply chains remain disrupted: “Factories like Eskort that rely on MDM will shut down, and once they close, they rarely reopen. Job losses will follow.”

With 93% of South Africa’s MDM sourced from Brazil, finding a substitute supplier is unlikely. “There’s no viable alternative at Brazil’s scale,” Mothebe concluded. “We need swift government action before the full brunt of this crisis hits our economy and consumers.”

Listen to the full interview on Your World Today with Moulana Habib Bobat and Imamleng Mothebe.