Latest news with #Prinsloo
The South African
06-06-2025
- Business
- The South African
Meat prices set to surge amid SA supply crisis
Eskort CEO Arnold Prinsloo warns that South Africa's meat industry is heading into a 'perfect storm' that could drive prices out of reach for millions. Speaking to BusinessTech , he said that a combination of beef shortages, a ban on chicken imports from Brazil, and the collapse of a major poultry producer has put the country's food security at serious risk. The warning comes after a confirmed outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease at a Gauteng feedlot owned by Karan Beef, South Africa's largest beef producer. The facility has been placed under quarantine, slashing slaughter volumes by nearly 75%. 'If the quarantine drags on or the disease spreads, beef supply will shrink and prices will rise,' Prinsloo said. Adding to the pressure is the recent ban on chicken imports from Brazil, imposed on 15 May after an avian flu outbreak. According to The Citizen , Brazil supplies South Africa with 19 000 tonnes of mechanically deboned meat (MDM) per month. This meat is used in low-cost processed products like polony and Viennas. Local producers can supply only 100 tonnes. 'Some smaller producers have already run out of raw materials. This ban alone threatens 400 million affordable meals per month,' Prinsloo warned. Meanwhile, Daybreak Foods, one of South Africa's largest poultry producers, has gone into business rescue and recently culled 350 000 chicks due to feed shortages. 'This will squeeze chicken supply even further and drive up prices across the board,' Prinsloo said. Prinsloo, alongside industry groups like AMIE and the South African Meat Processors Association, has urged Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen to review the import ban. They want the restriction narrowed to the affected region of Brazil rather than the entire country. 'This would preserve supply chains, protect public health, and safeguard thousands of jobs,' he said. Prinsloo stressed the urgency of the situation. 'This triple threat livestock disease, import bans, and production failures demands immediate government action,' he said. 'If we wait until shelves are empty and prices skyrocket, it'll be too late.' Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
The Citizen
06-06-2025
- Business
- The Citizen
Industry warns of meat price spike and hunger as SA faces supply crisis
South Africa's meat supply is under pressure from a 'triple whammy' of crises: bird flu in Brazil, a poultry producer's collapse, and a foot-and-mouth disease outbreak. A combination of a perfect storm of factors has led to a meat supply crisis which could see the price of meat spike over the winter, as well as increasing hunger and malnutrition, according to major players in the food industry. The 'triple whammy' which has hit the local market over the past few weeks is the ban on the imports of chicken from Brazil, some regions of that country having been hit by avian flu; a crisis at Daybreak Foods, one of South Africa's largest integrated poultry producers, which has entered business rescue after being forced to cull 350 000 starving chicks and, finally, this week, the diagnosis of foot-and-mouth disease in animals on feedlots of Karan Beef. A perfect storm Eskort CEO Arnold Prinsloo said the three developments represented a perfect storm for food security. He said that mechanically deboned meat from Brazilian chickens was used in affordable products such as polony and Viennas, adding that some smaller producers have already run out of raw material since the Brazilian import ban was imposed on 15 May. 'If the quarantine is prolonged or the disease spreads, it is possible that beef supply will contract and prices will rise, just as the supply of chickens from Daybreak comes under pressure from the company's bankruptcy and polony vanishes from supermarket shelves,' he said. 'We have calculated that 400 million low-cost meals per month will be affected by the import crisis alone, so this triple whammy to food security requires urgent action from the department of agriculture, starting with a decision to narrow the Brazilian ban to Rio Grande do Sul, the only state affected by avian flu,' he added. ALSO READ: Bird flu ban: Brazil suspension takes chicken and polony off South African tables — prices set to rise Poultry industry 'disingenuous' Prinsloo said he was disappointed by the poultry industry's insistence that the import ban does not pose a food security risk. 'South Africa imports 19 000 tons of mechanically deboned meat every month from Brazil because domestic producers only have the capacity to supply 100 tons.' He said it was disingenuous of the poultry industry to dismiss the looming shortage, particularly when the people who will suffer most are the ones with the fewest affordable choices. Eskort has joined industry bodies including the Association of Meat Importers and Exporters and the South African Meat Processors Association in calling on Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen to instruct officials to expedite Brazil's application for an agreement allowing it to apply for recognition of disease-free geographical zones. Chicken supply cut Another big bite out of the meat market supply was the cut of almost 12 million chickens a month following the National Council of SPCAs (NSPCA) suspension of Daybreak's operations. Last month, the NSPCA obtained an urgent interim court order from the High Court in Johannesburg compelling Daybreak Foods to immediately cease all inhumane culling practices and to provide adequate, appropriate feed to hundreds of thousands of breeder birds at its facilities. ALSO READ: Will SA run out of beef and chicken? Animal disease hits SA's top producer — what it means for consumers The interim order was made final by the high court on 23 May. Farmers have called on the government to act to contain foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) before it is too late. FMD spread in SA Southern African Agri Initiative (SAAI) president Dr Theo de Jager said the outbreak of FMD in KwaZulu-Natal and its subsequent spread to some of the largest feedlots in South Africa, was a disaster of immeasurable scale for cattle farmers. 'SAAI has been engaging with the department of agriculture since December 2024, when the first rumours of FMD began circulating,' he said. 'It took months before the outbreak was officially declared and resources were mobilised to combat it.' Karen Beef suspends exports Meanwhile, Karan Beef spokesperson senior feedlot veterinarian Dr Dirk Verwoerd said a case of FMD had been confirmed at its feedlot facility in Heidelberg on Monday. 'The outbreak occurs during peak weaning season and will significantly disrupt the national supply chain. Farmers may be forced to hold calves longer than usual due to limited feedlot capacity. Karan Beef has suspended all exports,' he said. Verwoerd said consumers should know there is no risk to human health and that local beef supply may be affected in the short term. Business rescue for stricken chicken producer Daybreak Foods
The Citizen
06-06-2025
- Business
- The Citizen
Rising meat costs will punish the poor
With imports halted and diseases spreading, meat prices are set to rise, putting added strain on households already battling food insecurity. How is it that the head of a company specialising in pork products should go into bat on behalf of the poultry sector as a meat supply crisis engulfs our country? It sounds odd, but as Eskort CEO Arnold Prinsloo explains it, you can see the logic. The government has banned the importation of chickens from Brazil, because of the outbreak of avian flu in certain parts of that country. What that means is that we are no longer importing the estimated 19 000 tons of mechanically deboned meat (MDM), which is a vital component of processed meats such as polony, of which Eskort is one of a number of suppliers. The ban on imports comes as two other blows have hit meat supplies. First, there was a crisis at Daybreak Foods, one of South Africa's largest integrated poultry producers, which has entered business rescue after being forced to cull 350 000 starving chicks. ALSO READ: Tiger Brands to make interim advance payments to listeriosis victims as class action continues Then came the news this week that foot-and-mouth disease had been detected at a Gauteng feedlot owned by Karan Beef. Prinsloo reckons all of this combined can lead to hikes in the price of meat across all categories and, because the cheaper processed meats rely on MDM, it could be the poor who are hardest hit. The meat industry, along with farmers' groups, are upset at the government, specifically for its inaction. The concern among farmer's organisations is that the authorities did not act quickly enough to contain the foot-and-mouth outbreak, with the result that many cattle farmers could face financial ruin as they will be banned from moving or selling their stock. The meat industry wants the government to immediately amend the Brazilian import ban so that it applies to only those areas in that country actually affected by bird flu. Unless urgent action is taken, we face a cold, hungry winter. NOW READ: Soweto's smoked meat master makes waves
Daily Maverick
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Maverick
It's time for accountability and action on South Africa's gun violence crisis
In a country where 33 people are shot dead every single day, gun violence in South Africa has reached levels last seen in the late 1990s. The statistics tell a devastating story: murders have surged by 62% and attempted murders by almost 50% over the past decade, with firearms now the weapon of choice in nearly half of all murders and almost 60% of all attempted murders, while organised crime, empowered by easy access to deadly weapons, flourishes. Almost all the firearms used in South Africa's gun violence crisis are domestically sourced, originating from the state and civilians. Latest data show that civilians reported the loss/theft of 8,452 firearms in the 2023-24 financial year – this number includes 1,648 firearms that were lost/stolen from private security companies, while SAPS reported the loss/theft of 741 service firearms in this time. A crisis of accountability South Africa's gun violence crisis is playing out against a range of violations of our international commitments. As a signatory to the United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime (Untoc), the Southern African Development Community Firearms Protocol, the UN Programme of Action on Small Arms and the Arms Trade Treaty, our government is legally committed to maintaining accurate, comprehensive records of firearms within our borders. Yet South African authorities cannot answer a basic question: how many guns are in our country? The Central Firearms Registry (CFR) produces contradictory reports, even for the same year. Our government has further demonstrated its lack of commitment by downgrading its participation in international mechanisms meant to combat these problems. The Untoc review process – a crucial international accountability mechanism – has been outsourced to a junior official, while South Africa hasn't submitted required reports under the UN Small Arms Programme of Action since 2014. The deadly consequences The connection between this record-keeping failure and gun-related violence is clear. Firearms are both enablers and multipliers of violent crime. They were used in 42% of murders and 58% of attempted murders in periods where data were available. With guns increasingly becoming the weapon of choice for criminals, our government's inability to track and control firearms represents a profound national security failure. The infamous case of police Colonel Christiaan Prinsloo illustrates the deadly serious consequences. As custodian of a police armoury, Prinsloo stole 2,000+ firearms marked for destruction and sold them to organised crime groups, feeding violence across communities. In Prinsloo's initial statement to his lawyer, he described how firearms were 'removed from the police computer' before being sold to criminals. Gun Free South Africa's Prinsloo Guns Class Action, instituted on behalf of affected families, is an attempt to get justice by holding the state accountable for failing to safeguard its weapons. A path forward South Africa doesn't lack solutions—it lacks implementation. Here's what must happen: First, we must tighten controls over licensed firearms held by the state and civilians to prevent leakage and criminal use. This includes urgently repairing our broken Central Firearms Registry, because without accurate information on who owns what firearms for which purpose, all other interventions will fail. This requires both technical upgrades and a cultural shift within the institution, which may require a frank discussion about outsourcing (not privatising) functions. Second, we need to focus on enforcing current firearm-related laws and addressing legislative loopholes that are being exploited. The recently published draft regulations to strengthen controls over private security company firearms is a step forward, but we need an urgent amendment to the Firearms Control Act to align it with legal and constitutional developments in South Africa, as well as our global commitments under conventions like the Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime's Firearms Protocol. In addition to tightening controls over licensed guns to stop leakage into the illegal pool and criminal use, government must prioritise recovering illegal guns already in circulation. The failure of government's flagship crime-prevention operation Shanela – which uses a broad stop-and-search approach – is evident from firearm recovery numbers, which show marginal increases. Thus, a third urgent action is for government to embrace an intelligence-led approach to gun recovery that includes tracking the origin of reclaimed firearms to close leakage loopholes. Fourth, a national firearms amnesty is essential. Unlike previous amnesties in South Africa, this must implement a 'no questions asked' approach, where the focus is on bringing unlicensed guns back under legal control by encouraging owners to either surrender guns for destruction or, in the case of expired licences, apply for a new licence (as an expired licence cannot be renewed). Finally, civil society must be embraced as an ally by the state because it is here that trust is built around sensitive issues, which include gun ownership. Understanding of and respect for the responsibility of owning a gun, including complying with the law around registration, licensing and use, is shaped by culture and community. These relate to issues of power, safety, security, respect and responsibility, which demand a community-based approach. In this respect, civil society must be treated by government as a critical friend (as described by a panellist at the Constructive Dialogue on Firearms in Vienna on 30 April 2025) that plays a key role in promoting and supporting responsible gun ownership, while also providing independent and useful insight and analysis on gun ownership, use and trafficking. A matter of political will South Africa's gun violence crisis is ultimately a test of political will: Does our government have the courage to confront a small but vocal minority who are vehemently opposed to any gun control interventions? South Africa's own experience is a guide to what needs to be done: Between 2000 and 2010, South Africa's gun death rate halved from 34 to 18 people shot dead a day through a range of gun control interventions, including a focus on recordkeeping, passing and implementing stricter gun legislation, holding a national firearms amnesty, using intelligence to recover firearms and involving civil society as a critical friend. In addition, international frameworks and knowledge exist and can be drawn upon. What's missing is determined implementation and accountability.
TimesLIVE
19-05-2025
- Sport
- TimesLIVE
MBB attribute slow start to pressure of hosting Basketball Africa playoffs
The Basketball Africa League playoffs to be hosted in South Africa in June have put Made by Ball (MBB), the country's representatives in this week's Nile Conference qualifier in Kigali, Rwanda, under pressure, player Pieter Prinsloo admitted. MBB have suffered two opening losses in the competition and Prinsloo agreed with head coach Sam Vincent that the team were still finding each other after little preparation together. The Gauteng outfit squandered a first-half lead of 47-45 and ended up losing 103-81 to Armée Patriotique Rwandaise at the BK Arena on Sunday evening. With APR and Al Ahli Tripoli winning their first two games, MBB will have to beat Nairobi City Thunder on Tuesday and win another game or two in their last three encounters. That will increase their chances of a wild-card spot. Two of the best third-placed teams will make their way to Pretoria for the playoffs in June. The last spot is occupied by Morocco's FUS Rabat, who won two games in the Kalahari Conference with a points difference of -19. What an electrifying display of BAL action between APR and MBB 🔥. Roll back the tape with our @castlelitesa game recap to savour every game-defining play. #BAL5 — Basketball Africa League (@theBAL) May 18, 2025 'There could be a lot of pressure the guys might be feeling,' Prinsloo, who scored 13 points in the APR game, said. 'We play City Thunder on Tuesday. We have got better from game one and now we have to improve and get our first victory and we can progress from there. 'We are not trying to look too far now, we need to get better day-by-day and face the mistakes we made. 'We understand the playoffs are in South Africa and it is a big thing for us to qualify. Round 2 of the Nile Conference was something else! Here are your Top 5 plays from yesterday 👊 #BAL5 — Basketball Africa League (@theBAL) May 19, 2025 'Our first two games, we understand the mistakes we made. In game two, there are a lot of things we did better and we see that when we play our basketball. 'APR, we were able to beat them in the first half when we played the right way, but you have to play 40 minutes of basketball to be complete.' Vincent again bemoaned his team's inability to close out games but agreed APR's experience played a key role in the second half. 'Our guys played better. This is a new team, we haven't played a lot together. 'Every time we get onto the court we want to see improvement. In the first half we played well because we focused on moving the ball. 'We swung it from side to side. We were patient with our shots. In the second half, we were not as patient.'
