logo
Meat importers call on govt to reopen for poultry imports from countries free of avian flu

Meat importers call on govt to reopen for poultry imports from countries free of avian flu

Eyewitness News04-06-2025
JOHANNESBURG - The Association of Meat Importers is calling for the Agriculture Department to reopen poultry imports from countries free from avian influenza.
Since May 16, South Africa has imposed a ban on its primary poultry supplier, Brazil, owing to an outbreak of avian flu.
ALSO READ: DFFE warns that avian influenza may have reached Marion Island
This has forced the government to look towards countries like Sweden, Denmark and Belgium, which are unaffected by the outbreak.
CEO of Meat Importers Association, Imameleng Mothebe, said, "Opening access to each additional AI-free market will help stabilise prices, ensure availability of affordable protein, safeguard jobs in the process and ensure our country is future-proofed of avian influenza supply shortages."
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

China summons chip giant Nvidia over alleged security risks
China summons chip giant Nvidia over alleged security risks

eNCA

time2 days ago

  • eNCA

China summons chip giant Nvidia over alleged security risks

Chinese authorities summoned Nvidia representatives on Thursday to discuss "serious security issues" over some of its artificial intelligence chips, as the US tech giant finds itself entangled in trade tensions between Beijing and Washington. Nvidia is a world-leading producer of AI semiconductors, but the United States effectively restricts which chips it can export to China on national security grounds. A key issue has been Chinese access to the "H20", a less powerful version of Nvidia's AI processing units that the company developed specifically for export to China. The California-based firm said this month it would resume H20 sales to China after Washington pledged to remove licensing curbs that had halted exports. But the firm still faces obstacles -- US lawmakers have proposed plans to require Nvidia and other manufacturers of advanced AI chips to include built-in location tracking capabilities. And Beijing's top internet regulator said Thursday it had summoned Nvidia representatives to discuss recently discovered "serious security issues" involving the H20. The Cyberspace Administration of China said it had asked Nvidia to "explain the security risks of vulnerabilities and backdoors in its H20 chips sold to China and submit relevant supporting materials". The statement posted on social media noted that, according to US experts, location tracking and remote shutdown technologies for Nvidia chips "are already matured". The announcement marked the latest complication for Nvidia in selling its advanced products in the key Chinese market, where it is in increasingly fierce competition with homegrown technology firms. - Nvidia committed - CEO Jensen Huang said during a closely watched visit to Beijing this month that his firm remained committed to serving local customers. Huang said he had been assured during talks with top Chinese officials during the trip that the country was "open and stable". "They want to know that Nvidia continues to invest here, that we are still doing our best to serve the market here," he said. Nvidia this month became the first company to hit $4 trillion in market value -- a new milestone in Wall Street's bet that AI will transform the global economy. Jost Wubbeke of the Sinolytics consultancy told AFP the move by China to summon Nvidia was "not surprising in the sense that targeting individual US companies has become a common tool in the context of US-China tensions". "What is surprising, however, is the timing," he noted, after the two countries agreed to further talks to extend their trade truce. "China's action may signal a shift toward a more assertive stance," Wubbeke said. Beijing is also aiming to reduce reliance on foreign tech by promoting Huawei's domestically developed 910C chip as an alternative to the H20, he added. "From that perspective, the US decision to allow renewed exports of the H20 to China could be seen as counterproductive, as it might tempt Chinese hyperscalers to revert to the H20, potentially undermining momentum behind the 910C and other domestic alternatives." New hurdles to Nvidia's operation in China come as the country's economy wavers, beset by a years-long property sector crisis and heightened trade headwinds under US President Donald Trump. Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for the country to enhance self-reliance in certain areas deemed vital for national security -- including AI and semiconductors -- as tensions with Washington mount. The country's firms have made great strides in recent years, with Huang praising their "super-fast" innovation during his visit to Beijing this month. By Peter Catterall

What if the answer to South Africa's youth unemployment lies in the ocean?
What if the answer to South Africa's youth unemployment lies in the ocean?

IOL News

time2 days ago

  • IOL News

What if the answer to South Africa's youth unemployment lies in the ocean?

South Africa's ocean and coastal sectors could contribute significantly to economic growth Image: Supplied South Africa's ocean and coastal sectors could contribute significantly to economic growth and job creation, particularly among the country's unemployed youth. According to a 2024 report by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE), the coastal and oceans economy remains largely underdeveloped but could add around R166.6 billion to GDP, about 4.54% and generate more than 608,000 jobs by 2035. "Despite the overwhelmingly maritime nature of South Africa's geography, its clear dependence on the ocean, and the contribution of the marine sector to the overall national economy, South Africa has not fully explored the enormous potential of its ocean space," the report noted. The study which examined the broader social and economic benefits of the oceans economy, also found that the oceans economy already accounted for 4.47% of South Africa's total GDP and 2.86% of total employment. Currently, South Africa has one of the highest unemployment rates in the world, standing at around 32%. That figure could worsen, economists warn, as the country faces the possible economic fallout of looming 30% tariffs on key exports to the United States. According to Sanlam's Teboho Makhabane, Head of ESG and Impact, the blue economy offers a real chance for the country to create jobs and support the environment. Makhabane pointed to opportunities in sectors such as coastal tourism, artisanal fisheries, aquaculture, and marine conservation that could generate large numbers of jobs, especially for low- and semi-skilled workers. 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. 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. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading 'In South Africa, this offers strategic opportunities beyond job creation, tourism, and fisheries, extending into aquaculture, coastal infrastructure, marine conservation, and climate-adaptation services like mangrove restoration. Yet these opportunities remain underutilised,' Makhabane said. He added that 'Coastal tourism and artisanal fisheries alone already account for more than 49-million jobs across the continent". "If scaled responsibly through community-based co-management, sustainable aquaculture, and low-impact infrastructure development, these sectors can absorb large numbers of low- and semi-skilled workers.' IOL previously reported, the KwaZulu-Natal provincial government signed an agreement with Navigo aimed at unlocking the province's estimated R100 billion ocean economy. The deal included plans for a superyacht manufacturing hub, marine skills training, port upgrades, and international marketing of KZN-built vessels. IOL News Get your news on the go, click here to join the IOL News WhatsApp channel

Consumer take-home pay holds steady amid inflation and economic uncertainty
Consumer take-home pay holds steady amid inflation and economic uncertainty

IOL News

time3 days ago

  • IOL News

Consumer take-home pay holds steady amid inflation and economic uncertainty

Consumer take-home pay, tracked in the BankservAfrica Take-home Pay Index (BTPI), held steady in June 2025, after three months of moderation, due to the favourable inflation rate and expectations of an interest rate cut on July 31. Image: IOL / AI Consumer take-home pay, tracked in the BankservAfrica Take-home Pay Index (BTPI), held steady in June 2025, after three months of moderation, due to the favourable inflation rate and expectations of an interest rate cut. However, while average salaries might increase by 5% this year based on current conditions, future earnings and unemployment levels may be adversely impacted by external factors impacting on the economy, an economist has warned. 'The nominal average take-home pay of R17 310 in June 2025 declined marginally by 0.1% on May's R17 325. However, it was still well above the R15 514 level a year earlier,' said BankservAfrica's Head of Stakeholder Engagements Shergeran Naidoo. He said the economic outlook had deteriorated in recent months even though the first six months of data from the index signaled that 2025 would, on average, be a good salary year. Inflation adjusted take-home pay moderated marginally by 0.2% month-on-month to R14 804 in June, compared to R14 827 in May, but was still notably up on year-ago levels. 'The significant moderation in consumer inflation in 2024 has had a positive impact on the purchasing power of salary earners and the scenario continues into 2025, with the latest headline CPI figure at only 3% for June 2025,' said Independent Economist Elize Kruger. 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. 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. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading After challenging years for salary earners, due to the sluggish local economy and the elevated inflation rate, 2024 turned out to be the best year since 2015, with an average real salary increase of 1.5%. 'With inflation forecast to average 3.5% in 2025 - unlike 4.4% in 2024 – and the broader industry suggesting an average salary increase above 5%, 2025 will be the second consecutive year of a real increase in earnings,' said Kruger. She said the favourable inflation environment had created ample scope for the South Africa Reserve Bank to cut interest rates further, in addition to supporting salary earners' consumption expenditure and softening the impact of global headwinds on the local economy. 'Carpe Diem Research Services forecasts a 25 basis percentage points cut at the Monetary Policy Committee meeting tomorrow, July 31, 2025,' said Kruger. She said this was likely to be the final cut in the current downward cycle. She said that even though 2025 had turned out to be a volatile year so far, real consumption expenditure had held up well, which was encouraging for an economy heavily reliant on consumer spending. 'Even with confidence levels slipping in the first quarter, the level of real final consumption expenditure by households was 2.8% higher compared to a year earlier. Early indications from StatsSA indicate that the performance continued in the second quarter, with real retail sales in the first five months of the year up by 4.3%,' she said. However, there had been downward revisions to growth prospects - locally and globally - and high levels of uncertainty, fueling low confidence and a pause on investment decisions. 'This could affect employment levels and earnings in the coming months, in an economy with an already high unemployment rate of 32.9%,' said Kruger. Additionally, tensions between the US and South Africa, coupled with uncertainty over the tariff landscape beyond August 1, presented a growing concern for the economy and its trade outlook, she said. Visit:

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store