Government removes meat and egg import quotas
The government is removing all controls on the amount of meat and eggs that can be imported, Minister Joel Morgan said yesterday.
The Minister for Environment, Natural Resources and Transport said the move, which has immediate effect, follows many complaints from consumers that the prices of meat and eggs are unaffordable for ordinary people.
He added that it will allow anyone to import all kinds of meat provided they have the necessary health and hygiene certificates.
Mr Morgan also stressed that local farmers have to bring down their prices to a reasonable level so as to remove the glut of local chicken, which is posing a problem at present.
However, he said that in order to continue protecting local farmers and their production, the levy on imported chicken remains, while a levy will be imposed on imported pork and possibly on imported eggs too.
“This is to ensure that local farmers and producers have a fair chance to continue production. They need to continue production as far as national food security is concerned,” said Mr Morgan.
“But they have to review their costs, they have to review the efficiency of their production and the way they manage their production.”
Mr Morgan said the government cannot increase the levy on imported meat to a point where it, too, becomes unaffordable to the ordinary Seychellois.
The government has a duty to ensure that people can eat and are encouraged to eat a balanced diet, he said. People cannot be told to eat fish every day as it, too, is very expensive as are vegetables.
Mr Morgan said based on public complaints, the government has carried out a review of all the incentives that were given to farmers, meat and egg producers over the past year including:
● Transferring the hatchery, animal feed factory and abattoir to the farmers’ cooperative so the main factors affecting local production were placed in their own hands;
● Removing goods and services tax (GST) on all locally produced animal feeds;
● Reducing the rate of trades tax on all imports by farmers to a flat rate of only 5%;
● Introducing a flat rate of only R100 a month per farmer for water, regardless of how much he uses;
● Exempting farmers from paying business tax;
● Ensuring a levy of R5 per kilo is paid on all imported meat, plus 15% GST.
Mr Morgan noted that in spite of all that, the retail prices of locally produced chicken, pork and eggs remain high, resulting in the present situation where over 200 tonnes of local chicken remain unsold.
He said this is because the price is too high and people cannot afford to buy it, while imported chicken is much cheaper.
The government has studied the situation carefully and considered two aspects, he said – the ability of the people to feed themselves and the issue of national food security.
Mr Morgan said removing import quotas and controls is the best and only way to address the situation as already the government has given all that can be given to farmers in terms of concessions.
Source: NATION 3-2-10