Stop bullying potential South African importers

LET US PUT aside the inaccuracy of Mr Lovells’ ever-changing and spurious job figures and consider the sheer audacity of his latest comments, Clarity given on potential poultry job losses (Business Report, June 19).

They demonstrate his blatant disregard for genuine job growth and fairer prices for consumers.

Just two weeks after striking a deal with US Poultry, after forcing an unnecessarily drawn out negotiation process, holding our Agoa membership to hostage, the Sapa chief executive now shamelessly seeks to play the victim.

Besides embarrassing our reputation as an African state that is serious about international trade, Lovell and local poultry magnates have spent many months of negotiations, holding tens of thousands of jobs hostage. Now those jobs and more than R30 billion worth of exports are only tentatively secure, as South Africa has been included in Agoa renewal, but subject to an “out of cycle review”.

Lovell’s latest claim that local poultry now stands to lose about 6 500 jobs as a result of the recent Agoa deal is just another fiction, in keeping with his mythology that local chicken industry are victims of American imperialism.

For too long, the SA poultry bosses have been using government to bully potential importers. SA poultry, like all serious industries in SA, must now come to terms with the features of any successful economy. That means healthy competition and ultimately better prices for consumers.

At the end of the day the Agoa deal is good for South African consumers and for the economy. DAVID WOLPERT CHIE EXECUTIVE, ASSOCIATION OF MEAT IMPORTERS AND EXPORTERS OF SA