AGRICULTURAL NEWS - A Western Cape company recently announced that it has made a deal worth R300 million per year to supply chicken feet to China.

The deal was apparently forged through a collaboration with Wesgro, the official tourism, trade and investment promotion agency for Cape Town and the Western Cape.

However, according to Izaak Breitenbach, CEO of the South African Poultry Association (Sapa), the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (Agriculture Department) denied the existence of any official protocols pertaining to the exportation of chicken feet between local producers and China.

“Sapa has been inundated by inquiries about the matter since the announcement was made. We immediately contacted the [Agriculture Department] to find out whether such protocols were in place as all agricultural exports need to be supported by official bilateral agreements at government level. The [department] confirmed that no such agreement exists,” he told Farmer’s Weekly.

According to a statement by Wesgro, the deal consists of the delivery of 540 tons of chicken feet each month to China. The chicken feet will likely be acquired by primarily women-owned poultry farms in the Western Cape and Mpumalanga.

Despite various attempts, Farmer’s Weekly could not get hold of any Wesgro official for comment on the matter.

However, in a statement, Wrenelle Stander, CEO of Wesgro, hailed the export agreement allegedly secured by the AskCarlaKote company as a significant achievement in South Africa’s poultry industry, while also showcasing the Western Cape’s growing role as a global agricultural exporter.

Stander said: “With its potential to create thousands of jobs and bolster the regional economy, this deal stands as a testament to the power of collaboration and innovation in driving economic growth. Our mission at Wesgro is to support businesses in driving economic growth and job creation across the city and province.”

Breitenbach added that Chinese consumers prefer feet from large birds that weigh at least 2,5kg.

“South African chickens are much smaller. The Chinese market also demands feet without skin. Any undertaking to supply 540t of chicken feet monthly, as announced in the Wesgro statement, is a mammoth undertaking that can’t be taken lightly,” he said.

While Wesgro had not responded to Farmer’s Weekly’s request for comment by the time the initial article was published, the company has since confirmed the existence of a “solid, signed commercial contract” between the company AskCarlaKote and a Chinese buyer, with the initial introduction facilitated by Wesgro.

“Our export team personally engaged with the buyer and visited their facilities. There are still processes that need to be fulfilled in order to give effect to this commercial deal. [The agriculture department] is aware of the deal but we are unable to comment on how long the regulatory processes will take,” Wesgro said.

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