KEVIN Lovell’s letter on March 9, 2015 – “Abolition of US chicken duties will not help SA” – is largely an unbecoming ad hominem attack. A case of playing the man, not the ball.
The local poultry industry cannot hold the entire African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) renewal process hostage. Agoa has had a tremendous impact on trade between the US and Africa.
As US ambassador (Patrick) Gaspard noted in his Business Day column on Friday, March 6, South Africa has made better use of Agoa to create jobs and support growth than any other country.
He notes that in 2014, we exported over R23 billion worth of cars to the US, in turn supporting about 30 000 workers in Port Elizabeth and Gauteng.
At this stage there is little value in debating whether the US poultry industry should or should not have taken measures of the past 15 years to protect their legitimate export interests.
At present, both US senators, (Chris) Coons and (Johnny) Isakson, two key members of the Senate sub-committee charged with Agoa’s renewal, are looking at measures. This has nothing to do with AMIE (Association of Meat Importers and Exporters) climbing on any bandwagon and everything to do with providing real facts to South Africans and our government and to ensure our best national interests are advanced, not the narrow interests of just one player in one industry.
Lovell also fails to address the scourge of brining – local poultry producers’ “weapon” with which (they) deceive the poor into buying chicken that contains up to 40 percent salt water. Does Lovell suggests that unsuspecting South Africans spend their hard-earned money on salt water masquerading as chicken? None of the imported chicken from the US is brined. In fact, brining has been outlawed in many countries altogether.
Everyone is entitled, including Mr Lovell, to his or her own opinion. But no one is entitled to his or her own facts.
DAVID Wolpert
Chief executive: Association of Meat Importers and Exporters of SA