30 June 2021 – Plans are under way to transform and revive the poultry and automotive sectors.
According to a report from the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (dtic), there has been progress.
“Since the implementation of the Poultry Master Plan, a new tariff was put on imported poultry which provides greater protection for local producers, and an increase in production capacity was realised at one million additional chickens produced locally every week since the new duty structure,” the statement read.
Quoted in the report, chief director for agro-processing at the dtic, Ncumisa Mcata-Mhlauli, said investment in expanding the capacity of the sector had been stepped up, with R1.15 billion invested in upgrading and improving the efficiency of facilities. She said 145 300 tons of poultry was now produced by local firms every month.
Also quoted in the report, chief director for automotives at the dtic, Mkhululi Mlota said the automotive industry was currently showing signs of recovery after the devastation of Covid -19 lockdowns, with localisation efforts being pursued.
Performance in automotive for 2020 accounted for 18.7% of manufacturing output and 13.9% of exports. The sector employs around 106 726 people in vehicle and component production, down from about 110 250 in 2019, while annual investment by vehicle assemblers stood at R9.2 billion and R2.4 billion by component producers in the same year. Source (Freight News)
