For now, we are not interested in free range or organic chickens, but we are interested in the recent hike in chicken import tariffs.
There have been moans and groans regarding this latest development, as we can be paying more to eat chickens in the future, but, personally, I believe this sends out a strong message that it is time we support our local producers.
Here is an interesting fact: South Africans consume about one billion chicken a year. That is a lot of wishbones, a lot of chicken burgers and a lot of chicken wings!
We may have our problems here in the sunshine nation, but you can be glad you are not a chicken. Shame. They are born and bred for one simple reason – to feed a very hungry and a rather poor nation of strugglers.
If you look at all the fast-food outlets specialising in chickens, you know that as soon as you pop out of a egg, you are doomed to become a patty or part of a lunchtime snack basket.
For many South Africans, chicken forms an integral part of their diet.
The new tariff regime for the poultry sector will see duty on five products increase, and one product even taxed up to the maximum of 82 per cent.
The reason for this hike is to protect the local industry against import dumping.
The local poultry producers are citing cheap imports and rising costs of production as a reason why they are struggling to make ends meet.
Chicken producers and grocery retailers have, it seems, offered some comfort to consumers that the new poultry import tariffs will not have such a drastic impact on the price of South Africa’s major source of protein.
This latest development in the import tariff follows the approval of the e-tolls system, which could very likely have a negative impact on food prices.
This is only logical, since transport costs will sky-rocket.
Regarding the e-tolls (sorry, I cannot resist), it is quite ironic that citizens are urged to buy the e-tag because it is our law-abiding duty. Sorry, I nearly choked on a chicken bone.
Law and order in this country is about as scarce as finding a chicken with three legs, considering the latest crime stats and the increasing violence in schools, so yes, it is a bit laughable that the law card is now being played to entice motorists to buy into the e-toll system.
The Director-General of the Department of Trade and Industry, Lionel October, recently highlighted the forging of a “buy local” culture when he painted a picture of a recovering SA economy.
While South Africa still faces challenges such as a slow contribution to global growth and the trade deficit, one of the key challenges is to get people to buy locally.
And, funny enough, this is where a hike in import tariffs and the e-toll can help as they will force consumers to place their focus on locally produced goods, which can only be good for South Africa’s economy.
In the past, we have enjoyed the luxury of driving around Gauteng as consumers, looking for bargains and quality service, but with the e-toll system this luxury is going to be curbed, as travelling becomes more expensive.
This then might result in us buying from businesses within our immediate vicinity.
This is, after all, what the Ekurhuleni Business Initiative is suggesting – buy not just SA goods, but from businesses within your own town.
Since e-tolls are here to stay, support shops within a 5km to 10km radius of your home, to cut down on travelling costs.
It is true that SA is part of the global village, with imports and exports now so much easier, but the “buy local” culture can only be beneficial to our Rainbow Nation — or is that Rainbow Chickens?
We all know of the influx of cheaper goods from overseas, but as long as these cheaper goods are flooding our country and being supported, they will continue to kill the local labour market.
Many of the major fast food outlets — even retailers by all accounts — are already buying locally. Therefore, the intent should be clear – we need to become a nation that is proud of what is being produced within our own borders.
With this in mind, one has to applaud the efforts of the Proudly South Africa campaign.
The Proudly South African “buy local” campaign encourages the nation to buy local products and to make use of local services, in an effort to stimulate the local economy and help to create jobs.
Proudly SA also promotes national pride, patriotism and social cohesion.
The campaign believes that when consumers buy locally produced products and support local service providers, the local economy will be stimulated and sustainable job opportunities will be created.
Maybe it is time to stick a Proudly SA sticker on home-grown chickens, as they see the light of day.
At least it might make them feel proud on the day they are slaughtered for a sosatie braai under the African sun.
