Latest news with #Breitenbach
IOL News
5 days ago
- Business
- IOL News
Poultry sector fears government concessions to US chicken imports threatens local industry
SAPA CEO Izaak Breitenbach said the US, under the African Growth and Opportunity Act agreements, along with Brazil, were amongst the major dumpers of poultry into the local market. Image: Pixabay The South African poultry industry has voiced concerns about the government's decision to facilitate the import of 72 000 metric tons of poultry from the United States as part of measures to boost trade and reduce the tariffs. The local poultry industry on Tuesday said it has been sacrificed to benefit the automotive sector and others focusing on profitable exports to the US. The South African Poultry Association (SAPA) told Business Report that the decision was a surprise. SAPA CEO Izaak Breitenbach said the industry had instead been hard at negotiations with the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic) to suspend the US imports prior to the tariff negotiations. Breitenbach said that the US, under the African Growth and Opportunity Act agreements, along with Brazil, were amongst the major dumpers of poultry into the local market. "We had a meeting with Minister [Parks] Tau on May 16th at which we asked, as we had heard the rumours already, that we be consulted if there were concessions to be made with poultry," Breitenbach said. "We had asked that the 72 000 tons from America be revoked. Our letters to his office have piled up without a response. This will have a very severe impact on the industry, which has been on a decline since 2009 due to the dumping." Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. 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Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ In a joint statement of the dtic and the Department of Agriculture on the update to the negotiations with the US, the government said South Africa has already addressed sanitary and phytosanitary measures in compliance with the bio-security protocols affecting poultry, blueberries and pork. The government said South Africa granted the US market access under the conditional self-ban and self-lifting system. This will ensure that the US is able to leverage the Tariff Rate Quota of 72 000 tons already agreed in 2016. With blueberries, the country has granted market access for US states that are free of fruit fly and agreed to mitigation measures with those states with fruit fly. Similar agreements have been made on pork which is open subject to the bio-security requirements. "Consequently, the USA-Africa Trade Desk has informed us that it will be shipping containers of poultry and pork to South Africa in two weeks' time, which is testimony that these issues have been resolved," Tau said. "The shipments will come from the states of Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina, North Carolina and Alabama through the Ports of New Orleans in Louisiana, Savanna in Georgia, and Norfolk in Virginia." On the other hand, the Association of Meat Importers and Exporters (AMIE), which welcomed the announcement said for the beef export sector and South Africa's broader red meat industry, said this was an important opportunity to build long-term growth. AMIE highlighted the urgent need for the government to conclude standing regionalisation agreements, for both exports and imports, with its trade partners. It said these agreements limited trade restrictions to disease affected areas and safeguarded supply chain continuity when disease outbreaks occurred. "AMIE, with our deep sector expertise and established global network - including strong relationships with industry organisations in SA's key export markets - stands ready to support Government's trade objectives," said AMIE CEO, Imameleng Mothebe.
The Citizen
26-06-2025
- Health
- The Citizen
SA might run out of chicken as bird flu import row ruffles feathers
Sampa has warned that processed meat producers will soon run out of MDM because of a disagreement between South Africa and Brazil over the technicalities of lifting the ban on imports. Outbreaks of the highly pathogenic avian influenza, commonly known as bird flu, in different parts of the world have caused a division among key players in the poultry industry, with some believing the South African government must be stricter on banning imports from the countries, while some believe that if a stricter ban is imposed, the country will suffer. Countries that have experienced an outbreak of the bird flu include Brazil and the United States. However, some states in the two countries do not have the disease, making chicken from those states safe to eat. South Africa gets most of its chicken from the two countries. The Department of Agriculture has taken certain steps against imports from Brazil and the US. However, the South African Poultry Association (Sapa) has criticised these steps. ALSO READ: Bird flu: Government lifts ban on most chicken imports from Brazil Chicken imports from the US The department granted US authorities a concession to determine for themselves which states can export chicken to South Africa. A move that Sapa has asked the department to withdraw. 'These decisions have been taken by the Department of Agriculture, based on US notifications to the World Organisation of Animal Health (WOAH). 'However, the department has now allowed the US to self-impose and self-lift bird flu restrictions. This decision, quietly implemented three months ago with no consultation with the domestic industry, is an alarming abdication of its responsibility to defend South Africa's poultry sector,' said Izaak Breitenbach, CEO of Sapa's Broiler Organisation. Is chicken from the US safe? Breitenbach added that all states that produce chicken in the US have been affected, and 27 of those states are currently banned by the South African authorities from exporting poultry to this country. He stresses that by granting the US the right to determine its own disease status and export policies, the department has created a serious conflict of interest. 'The risk is palpable: a country grappling with widespread outbreaks of bird flu can now prioritise its own interests and potentially expose South Africa to the very disease that cost this industry R9.5 billion and wiped out 30% of its long-living chicken flock in 2023.' Reckless move Sapa has labelled the department's decision 'reckless'. 'This is an unprecedented and reckless shift that compromises South Africa's disease-free status and threatens both food security and the future sustainability of the poultry sector. 'It sets a dangerous precedent that other large-scale poultry exporters, such as the European Union and Brazil, could soon demand the same latitude, leaving the South African poultry industry further exposed to devastating disease outbreaks,' he added. Breitenbach emphasises that the decision poses a risk, as SA can experience an outbreak due to chicken imports from countries with the disease. ALSO READ: Bird flu: worry not, it is safe to eat eggs and chicken Chicken running out The South African Meat Processors Association (Sampa) has warned that processed meat producers will soon run out of Mechanically Deboned Meat (MDM) because of a disagreement between South Africa and Brazil over the technicalities of lifting the ban on imports. Sampa chairperson, Gordon Nicoll said this disagreement will likely result in shortages of chicken on supermarket shelves. 'Optimism had risen among besieged meat processors last week when South Africa announced that it would partially lift the ban and accept poultry and poultry products from provinces not affected by bird flu. 'But a refusal by Brazilian authorities to accept the proposed wording on South Africa's Import Health Certificate means Brazilian poultry is still unavailable to importers and manufacturers over a week later.' MDM comes from Brazil Nicoll highlighted that Brazil is the world's largest producer of MDM, with 95% of MDM imported over the last 12 years coming from Brazil. MDM is used in the manufacture of polony, viennas, Russians, braai wors, bangers, frozen burgers, meat pies and corned meat, among others. 'With beef prices significantly up as well as chicken being dearer, meat and protein have become much more expensive for South Africans. 'In a country where malnutrition is a real problem and where most of the population is struggling to survive, this is catastrophic.' NOW READ: Will SA run out of beef and chicken? Animal disease hits SA's top producer — what it means for consumers
The Citizen
19-06-2025
- Business
- The Citizen
‘Lifting Brazil chicken ban only hurts local producers,' says Sapa
The ban on imports from Brazil could have presented an opportunity to boost local production of chicken meat and offal, rather than relying on imports. The South African Poultry Association (Sapa) is not impressed with the Department of Agriculture's decision to partially lift the ban on chicken from Brazil, as the association believes this move could have consequences on local producers. A blanket ban was imposed on poultry imports from Brazil after one state in the country reported an outbreak of avian influenza, commonly known as bird flu. Brazil supplies more than 84% of South Africa's poultry imports. Many feared the blanket ban would result in a chicken shortage and an increase in chicken prices. However, Sapa stood firm with the belief that SA local producers should view this as an opportunity to learn how to stand on their own and produce enough chicken to fill the gap, as they are more than capable of doing so. ALSO READ: Bird flu: worry not, it is safe to eat eggs and chicken Produce chicken locally As of Thursday, 19 June 2025, certain Brazilian states that do not have cases of bird flu can import chicken to South Africa. Sapa says the move by the department comes as a surprise. Izaak Breitenbach, CEO of Sapa's Broiler Organisation, told The Citizen the ban on imports from Brazil could have been seen as an opportunity for more local production of chicken meat and offal instead of importing them. 'It would have created jobs and assisted in keeping chicken prices down in the long run. This move will thus support imports at the expense of local production.' Hush decision to allow chicken from Brazil When asked if the association is worried the move might put the country in danger, Breitenbach said, 'Yes, it is a bit of a hush decision.' 'We hope that the compartmentalisation actions are implemented with the necessary care.' The department stated that the decision to partially lift the import ban on poultry was made after it received a second report from Brazil's Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, which detailed how Brazil had contained the outbreak to one state. 'This partial lift may be withdrawn should the outbreak be found to have extended to other states within Brazil.' ALSO READ: Egg prices increasing globally due to US shortage — Should SA take advantage and export? 'Not out of the woods yet' Arnold Prinsloo, CEO of Eskort, told The Citizen that they welcome the speedy response from the government, but 'we are by no means out of the woods yet'. Eskort makes use of the mechanically deboned meat (MDM) from Brazil to make polony, viennas, russians and braaiwors. He previously stated that the blanket ban on Brazilian imports would put production lines to a standstill before the end of June. 'Although the Department of Agriculture has agreed to a partial lifting of the suspension, the process is as follows: Brazil has to send a certificate to the government, and together they need to agree on the legalities and wording,' added Prinsloo. 'Once that certificate is in place, we can only then place orders to Brazil. Production has been halted in Brazil, resulting in a two-week lead time for production. 'Those orders will take six weeks to get here, and then one to two weeks to clear customs. Thus, there will still be an impact on consumers, businesses and food security at large.' Ease pressure on the food basket Imameleng Mothebe, CEO of the Association of Meat Importers and Exporters (AMIE), welcomed the news, saying they hope it will ease pressure on the food basket. 'South Africans have already seen poultry prices surge in recent weeks, we hope this decision will help ease pressure on the food basket, especially as MDM and affordable chicken cuts are vital to lower-income households and the processed meat sector.' The association has urged the Department to accelerate the reopening of other key poultry import markets, including France, the Netherlands, Belgium and Denmark, which remain closed to South Africa despite their successful containment of earlier avian flu outbreaks, as declared to the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH). NOW READ: Here are the economic and social impacts of bird flu
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
There's doom and gloom about the economy, but million-dollar Hamptons home sales are booming
Hamptons home sales are booming despite stock market volatility and recession fears. Home sales were up about 86% in the first quarter over the same time period in 2024. Prices and sales are soaring in the beach destination despite Wall Street volatility. As Wall Street reels with every twist and turn in President Donald Trump's trade war, there's little sign of economic uncertainty in Manhattan's favorite beach destination just 100 miles east. Demand for luxury real estate in the Hamptons is only growing. Sales and home prices have surged over the last year. Rising prices in the tony enclave are nothing new. The pandemic ushered in a surge of buyers looking to escape the city. The median sales price of homes in the Hamptons in the first quarter of 2025 was more than $2 million, a 13% increase over the previous year and nearly double what it was five years ago, according to a recent Douglas Elliman report. Perhaps more notably, the pace of sales is also soaring this year. Sales were up about 86% in the first quarter over the same time period last year, according to the Douglas Elliman report. That's after home sales fell in the wake of the pandemic buying frenzy, and haven't returned to the highs of 2020. "The tired story of the housing recovery coming out of the pandemic is high prices, low sales," Jonathan Miller, who leads the real estate appraisal and consulting firm Miller Samuel and authored the Douglas Elliman report, told Business Insider. "The Hamptons doesn't fit that pattern. It's high prices and high sales." Miller added that the sharp rise in sales is "unusual and counter to the prevailing trends." This embedded content is not available in your region. Susan Breitenbach, a top Hamptons real estate agent with the Corcoran Group, said she's closed more deals so far this year than in all of 2024. She's sold a slew of luxury homes, including a $17.5 million oceanfront property in Bridgehampton, an Amagansett home for $13 million, a Sag Harbor home on less than an acre for $21 million, and a Southampton house for $5.6 million. "It was really very surprising," Breitenbach, who's been selling property in the Hamptons for more than 30 years, told BI. While some agents like Breitenbach are closing deals at the highest end of the market, the middle of the Hamptons market — homes between $1 million and $5 million — has driven the uptick in sales. These "meat and potatoes" sales, Miller said, are way up. So-called "tangible assets," like luxury real estate in very in-demand markets, can be particularly attractive to certain investors when markets are wobbly. Global stocks plummeted following Trump's "Liberation Day" tariffs announcement, and while they've mostly rebounded since the administration walked back some of their tariffs, markets are on edge. In early June, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development cut its forecast for the US economic growth rate in 2025 from 2.8% to 1.6%, citing Trump's trade policies. "Hamptons real estate has a long history of appreciating over time," Andrew Saunders, president of the Hamptons real estate brokerage Saunders & Associates, told BI. Some more cautious buyers "might look at what's happening in the world at large and say, 'You know what, I'm going to wait a month or two and let the world take a few spins and see what happens.' But we're not seeing that occur en masse." Miller credited big Wall Street bonuses in 2024 for some of the spike in sales and agreed that market volatility could be pushing some to diversify their investments. The Hamptons rental market might be more sensitive to economic uncertainty. Breitenbach said rental interest was much higher than usual in January but has since fallen off. Miller, who doesn't track rentals in the Hamptons, added that an increase in sales would naturally lead to a drop in rental demand. Breitenbach recently listed a home on 2.5 acres of oceanfront property in Water Mill, which sits between Southampton and Bridgehampton, for $44.5 million. "It's not about the house, it's about the land," she added. "And that's a deal." Hamptons buyers are from all over. Breitenbach said she's seen an uptick in California buyers this year, and she still has foreign buyers. But a large share of her clients are still Manhattanites. "A lot of it is the high-end New York — Manhattan — buyers, because there aren't many places they can go on the weekends," she said. Breitenbach said Memorial Day weekend this year felt more packed than ever out east, even with cooler-than-normal weather. "It looked like Fourth of July," she said. She doesn't expect market volatility and even threats of a recession to change that. "It's going to be a busy summer in the Hamptons regardless," Breitenbach said. "People keep coming out here no matter what's going on." Read the original article on Business Insider Sign in to access your portfolio
Business Insider
05-06-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
There's doom and gloom about the economy, but million-dollar Hamptons home sales are booming
Demand for luxury real estate in the Hamptons is only growing. Sales and home prices have surged over the last year. Rising prices in the tony enclave are nothing new. The pandemic ushered in a surge of buyers looking to escape the city. The median sales price of homes in the Hamptons in the first quarter of 2025 was more than $2 million, a 13% increase over the previous year and nearly double what it was five years ago, according to a recent Douglas Elliman report. Perhaps more notably, the pace of sales is also soaring this year. Sales were up about 86% in the first quarter over the same time period last year, according to the Douglas Elliman report. That's after home sales fell in the wake of the pandemic buying frenzy, and haven't returned to the highs of 2020. "The tired story of the housing recovery coming out of the pandemic is high prices, low sales," Jonathan Miller, who leads the real estate appraisal and consulting firm Miller Samuel and authored the Douglas Elliman report, told Business Insider. "The Hamptons doesn't fit that pattern. It's high prices and high sales." Miller added that the sharp rise in sales is "unusual and counter to the prevailing trends." Susan Breitenbach, a top Hamptons real estate agent with the Corcoran Group, said she's closed more deals so far this year than in all of 2024. She's sold a slew of luxury homes, including a $17.5 million oceanfront property in Bridgehampton, an Amagansett home for $13 million, a Sag Harbor home on less than an acre for $21 million, and a Southampton house for $5.6 million. "It was really very surprising," Breitenbach, who's been selling property in the Hamptons for more than 30 years, told BI. While some agents like Breitenbach are closing deals at the highest end of the market, the middle of the Hamptons market — homes between $1 million and $5 million — has driven the uptick in sales. These "meat and potatoes" sales, Miller said, are way up. So-called "tangible assets," like luxury real estate in very in-demand markets, can be particularly attractive to certain investors when markets are wobbly. Global stocks plummeted following Trump's "Liberation Day" tariffs announcement, and while they've mostly rebounded since the administration walked back some of their tariffs, markets are on edge. In early June, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development cut its forecast for the US economic growth rate in 2025 from 2.8% to 1.6%, citing Trump's trade policies. "Hamptons real estate has a long history of appreciating over time," Andrew Saunders, president of the Hamptons real estate brokerage Saunders & Associates, told BI. Some more cautious buyers "might look at what's happening in the world at large and say, 'You know what, I'm going to wait a month or two and let the world take a few spins and see what happens.' But we're not seeing that occur en masse." Miller credited big Wall Street bonuses in 2024 for some of the spike in sales and agreed that market volatility could be pushing some to diversify their investments. The Hamptons rental market might be more sensitive to economic uncertainty. Breitenbach said rental interest was much higher than usual in January but has since fallen off. Miller, who doesn't track rentals in the Hamptons, added that an increase in sales would naturally lead to a drop in rental demand. Breitenbach recently listed a home on 2.5 acres of oceanfront property in Water Mill, which sits between Southampton and Bridgehampton, for $44.5 million. "It's not about the house, it's about the land," she added. "And that's a deal." Hamptons buyers are from all over. Breitenbach said she's seen an uptick in California buyers this year, and she still has foreign buyers. But a large share of her clients are still Manhattanites. "A lot of it is the high-end New York — Manhattan — buyers, because there aren't many places they can go on the weekends," she said. Breitenbach said Memorial Day weekend this year felt more packed than ever out east, even with cooler-than-normal weather. "It looked like Fourth of July," she said. She doesn't expect market volatility and even threats of a recession to change that.
