Poultry producers welcome lift on import ban

The Poultry Producers’ Association of Namibia (PPA) has welcomed the government lifting the ban of chicken imports from South Africa.

PPA chairperson Louis Kleynhans says as long as the poultry products are sourced from farms that are free from bird flu and are brought into the country legally, his association has no problem with that.

This follows the recent lifting of the import ban of poultry meat by the Directorate of Veterinary Services.

In a notice dated 15 May 2024, chief veterinary officer Albertina Shilongo announced the resumption of the importation of poultry meat from South Africa into Namibia.

“It should be noted that only poultry meat derived from live poultry originating from bio-secure farms as listed by the veterinary authority of South Africa will be permitted to be imported into Namibia,” said Shilongo.

Kleynhans says the lifting of the import ban, which has been in place since September last year following the spread of the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in the neighbouring country, will supplement local production.

“Importers get import quotas for poultry meat and the lifting of the ban will not affect our production levels because of these quotas,” he says.

At the time of the import ban last year, one poultry producer, Quantum Foods, reportedly culled about two million chickens to stop the spread of HPAI.

Another poultry producer, Astral Foods, says the total cost associated with the outbreak of the disease amounted to about R220 million at the time.

Namibia consumes an estimated 2 500 tonnes of chicken per month, relying mainly on imports from South Africa.

Namibian poultry production is on the rise, reaching 16 690 tonnes in 2021, riding on a market share promotion scheme.
– email: matthew@namibian.com.na