Rainbow Chicken on a knife edge

konfab said:
Yet no one bats an eye when we sell out all our manufacturing to China...
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more importantly, our mining. Why don't we protect our resources, especially the PGMs where we supply 75% of total global supply
 
I mainly buy whole chickens or breast, keep in mind, the current problem is around the "off-cuts" ie: thighs and drums. So please, those commenting on size of birds etc, that is NOT where this issue is ie: whole birds.

Personally my latest chickens came from Goldi which is Astral Poultry, couple farms here in KZN ( PZB\Midlands ). No brine, R36/kg.

Someone mentioned R49/kg @ checkers, you sure thats not for a bird? Thats very high for a /kg price.
 
It all comes down to one equation - which is better for society on the whole in the long term? Cheaper food, or thousands of workers out of a job?
 
yebocan said:
Yep...we had to lower our standards,to get the crap that was heading our way, to pass for human consumption. It was tied into the AGOA agreement...When the impact of dumping was being highlighted...many on here was of the opinion...cheap is king, and screw the local producers. Well,sub grade chickens coming home to roost
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Yip, I was on both sides of that debate, if there's a legitimate quality / standards concern I'd support protectionism in the form of quality control.

It's not too clear though, we've subsequently seen many allegations of local producers using more brine than their international competition for example. So if there's a real quality issue, losing a higher quality local producer is a tragedy. If it actually really just comes down to price I'm afraid I can't find any F's to give at the moment ...
 
konfab said:
Yet no one bats an eye when we sell out all our manufacturing to China...
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Randy_The_Squirrel said:
Yeah, I don't get it... makes no sense..
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I get it, you can't employ the locals. they want R5000 to sweep the floor once a month. Then minimum wages, 2 hours lunch. Come late to work, strikes. Can't beat a bowl of rice required by the Chinaman for working a day.
 
garp said:
It all comes down to one equation - which is better for society on the whole in the long term? Cheaper food, or thousands of workers out of a job?
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things don't work in a straight line though

the food may be cheaper now, but a drought happens overseas, wiping out excess supply and then prices rise or subsidies are removed or whatever

or theres political uncertainty (already) with the consequences unknown

its simply poor risk management to not look after your own agricultural sector, especially when those you trade with are doing that.
 
saturnz said:
things don't work in a straight line though

the food may be cheaper now, but a drought happens overseas, wiping out excess supply and then prices rise or subsidies are removed or whatever

or theres political uncertainty (already) with the consequences unknown

its simply poor risk management to not look after your own agricultural sector, especially when those you trade with are doing that.
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Yeah, that's why is said "in the long term". Not just supply/price that could change though - possibly displaced workers could re-skill/wind up in an alternative more efficient food production environment. So what's better - cheaper food (currently - with no long term guarantee) or displaced workers (possibly permanently or not)?
 
yebocan said:
FYI, have you seen the size of chickens at Food Lovers...turkey size!
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Sometime during last year, Food Lovers were selling these huge chicken breasts quite cheap and the smaller chicken breasts were quite expensive. I bought a pack of the large ones, but they did not taste the same as what we normally buy. It tasted strange, but my dogs enjoyed it. So, now I avoid any chicken that look abnormally large as I can only assume that it's of the imported variety.
 
saturnz said:
things don't work in a straight line though

the food may be cheaper now, but a drought happens overseas, wiping out excess supply and then prices rise or subsidies are removed or whatever

or theres political uncertainty (already) with the consequences unknown

its simply poor risk management to not look after your own agricultural sector, especially when those you trade with are doing that.
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And then there is no food and no work. Just like many countries up in Africa, Somalia, Zim, Zambia, DRC, Sudan...Whooo hooo.. party time.
 
garp said:
Yeah, that's why is said "in the long term". Not just supply/price that could change though - possibly displaced workers could re-skill/wind up in an alternative more efficient food production environment. So what's better - cheaper food (currently - with no long term guarantee) or displaced workers (possibly permanently or not)?
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given that everyone else we trade with has protectionist regimes with respect to agriculture, protection will serve us better, being on the wrong end of an asymmetric arrangement can never end well
 
Devinity said:
Sometime during last year, Food Lovers were selling these huge chicken breasts quite cheap and the smaller chicken breasts were quite expensive. I bought a pack of the large ones, but they did not taste the same as what we normally buy. It tasted strange, but my dogs enjoyed it. So, now I avoid any chicken that look abnormally large as I can only assume that it's of the imported variety.
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Same here. I see Checkers, Shoprite and Spar also stock the imported chicken. Much bigger than local chicken due to brining and freezing for the long trip to SA. But clearly also because of different breeding etc and most possibly some roids and gene manipulation as well.... And yes, it doesn't taste the same as local chicken. Not sure if its due to the brine though.

What I want to know is whether KFC and other fast food joints buy from the overseas suppliers. I'm pretty sure that Nando's doesn't. Their chicken pieces are just too kuk small and expensive!! :sick:
 
Oppiekoffie said:
I get it, you can't employ the locals. they want R5000 to sweep the floor once a month. Then minimum wages, 2 hours lunch. Come late to work, strikes. Can't beat a bowl of rice required by the Chinaman for working a day.
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Mhh....

/picking up a trend....
 
SeRpEnT said:
Same here. I see Checkers, Shoprite and Spar also stock the imported chicken. Much bigger than local chicken due to brining and freezing for the long trip to SA. But clearly also because of different breeding etc and most possibly some roids and gene manipulation as well.... And yes, it doesn't taste the same as local chicken. Not sure if its due to the brine though.

What I want to know is whether KFC and other fast food joints buy from the overseas suppliers. I'm pretty sure that Nando's doesn't. Their chicken pieces are just too kuk small and expensive!! :sick:
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KFC in South Africa exclusively sources Rainbow chicken, Nando's is a mixture as far as I know depending on the province.
 
i read the american guide lines for their freezing and what not when this agoa thing raised its head,

slow freezed, 12 months it stays fit for consumption.

fast/instant freeze, indefinite,

its on their official sites.

they had a massive build of of poultry because countries banning them due to bird flu outbreaks. hey what ever, force africa to take it.

http://www.businessinsider.com/dozens-of-countries-are-banning-us-poultry-because-of-a-huge-bird-flu-outbreak-2015-4


its not just them though, we are getting poultry from all over the world, way too much.

almost as if they are playing on the stereotype of african people love chicken...
 
I wish our supermarkets labelled the food. I'm sure there are those who won't mind buying the imports (cheaper). But just tell the consumers.

I'm assuming any unfrozen chicken in stores, are locally produced? They won't freeze, import, and defrost again before sale?
 
My 2c. I know of certain positions in management at Rainbow chicken that were earning way above industrial norms. I see it as a common trend where some companies will overpay their top management and underpay everyone else. And then that same company goes through some restructuring
 
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