SA's anti-trust watchdog has initiated a probe of the poultry industry, saying it believes the single biggest element of the country's agricultural sector may have features that impede, distort or restrict competition.
The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (dtic) published notice of the probe and the draft terms of reference Tuesday. It has invited comment from the public and interested stakeholders by 8 March, and after commencing, a report is expected within 18 months.
Competition Commission chief economist James Hodge said in a statement on Friday that a "poultry market inquiry into the concentrated and integrated structure of the industry can complement other initiatives to improve the competitiveness of the industry to the benefit of consumers and smaller participants".