The Namibian Competition Commission (NaCC) is calling on all micro small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) that have been refused supplies by Namibia’s two big poultry suppliers – Namib Mills (Pty) Ltd (Namib Mills) and Namib Poultry Industry (Pty) Ltd (NPI) – to make submissions to the watchdog.
These supplies are referred to as tertiary range products, which include soup packs, giblets, necks (bulk), hearts, gizzards, necks (pre-pack), heads and feet, cleaned feet, liver tubs, mala, livers (bulk) and breast bone, in and around Namibia.
The NaCC said it has received complaints that the two big guns of the poultry industry are limiting and restricting market access for new entrants, especially small businesses.
It is not that these products are not supplied, but they are rather reserved for more established and preferred clients, said the NaCC.
The investigations into the alleged discrimination by Namib Mills and NPI started last year, and the commission has indicated that submissions sent to them show that the two hold a dominant position in the relevant market, which is provisionally defined as the market for the production and supply of poultry products, including those categorised as tertiary range products.
The commission will be scheduling meetings in the coming days with all known MSMEs to get their input into the investigation.
All interested parties (consumers, poultry product importers/exporters, distributors, and retailers) are welcome to approach the commission to be involved in the consultation process.
The poultry industry produced goods worth over N$3 billion over the last three years, data from the Namibian Agronomic Board shows.
Email: lazarus@namibian.com.na
Twitter: @Lasarus_A
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