Power cuts put pressure on South African poultry sector

Published 2023년 2월 14일

Tridge summary

South Africa's poultry industry is reeling from the effects of ongoing national power cuts, or loadshedding, due to aging coal-fired power stations, corrupt coal procurement deals, and criminal sabotage. This situation, caused by the struggling national power utility, Eskom, has led to significant cost increases and production disruptions for farmers and abattoirs. Poultry houses, which rely on a consistent power supply for ventilation and other functions, are facing challenges, with some experiencing losses as generators consume diesel, and solar panels are not always an option. Abattoirs, which need to cool carcasses promptly, are also affected, risking food safety and potential product loss. The lack of government support to offset these costs is exacerbating the financial strain on the sector, leading to increased production costs and potential price hikes for consumers.

Disclaimer:The above summary was generated by Tridge's proprietary AI model for informational purposes.

Original content

Rolling national power cuts, or ‘loadshedding’, continue to have a devastating effect on poultry farmers and abattoirs throughout South Africa. Poultry World spoke to Izaak Breitenbach, CEO of the South African Poultry Association, to find out how this unique energy crisis has impacted the sector, which is forced to deal with hiked costs and power disruptions that last anywhere between 2 and 10 hours a day, every day. Loadshedding has become a daily reality across the country and is a result of ageing coal-fired power stations, corrupt coal procurement deals and criminal sabotage, all of which have impacted the national power utility, Eskom, to supply adequate electricity to South African businesses and households. The result is power cuts across the country which, according to a popular loadshedding app, EskomSePush, experienced 2,881 hours of loadshedding in 2022. Loadshedding was implemented every day in January this year, with no respite in sight. Astral Foods, one of South ...

Source: UkrAgroConsult