October 2, 2003

Mozambique's Poultry Farmers Cry Out Against Unfair Competition

Mozambican poultry farmers are complaining of unfair competition from products imported from countries such as South Africa, Brazil and Argentina, which are seriously prejudicing the national industry.

The chairperson of the Poultry Farmers Association, Afonso Langa, said that the dumping of cheap goods is affecting not only the poultry farmers but also the producers of chicks and chicken feed.

Langa said that he welcomes fair competition, because it encourages quality improvement, but he noted that for imported products to be sold at such low prices, they must have been rejected in their countries of origin. "First of all, these are chickens that enter our market at a cost, including customs duties, insurance and handling, which does not explain how they can be sold at such a low price", he said.

He also noted that some of them have been in the freezer for over a year and are being sold at 50,000 meticais (about 2 US dollars), compared with the fresh national product, being sold at 60,000 or 70,000 meticais a kilo.

Langa said his association has informed the relevant authorities about this situation and has shown them samples of expired products. He said that the association has notified the ministries of Agriculture, Health, and Industry and Trade, and the National Veterinary Research Institute, and has requested a meeting with them to discuss the issue.