Western Cape Firm Nets R300 Million Annual Deal To Supply Poultry Delicacies To China
Western Cape Firm Nets R300 Million Annual Deal To Supply Poultry Delicacies To China. In a groundbreaking trade development, a Western Cape-based company has secured a lucrative R300 million per year deal to export chicken feet to China.
The deal made possible with the support of Wesgro, the Official Tourism, Trade, and Investment Promotion Agency for Cape Town and the Western Cape, as well as Standard Bank, has the potential to generate up to 3 000 jobs throughout the entire value chain.
Leading the charge in this major trade deal is AskCarlaKote, a trading consultancy specialising in comprehensive solutions for farmers and clients in the commodities trading industry. AskCarlaKote will deliver 540 tons of chicken feet to China each month, collaborating with a network of predominantly female-owned poultry farms in the Western Cape and Mpumalanga to meet this substantial order. What’s more, in response to the soaring demand in China, AskCarlaKote is in advanced talks with multiple West African clients about exporting chicken feet to that region. Notably, they have already received a second inquiry for supplying chicken feet to the Asian market.
Carla Kote, the founder of AskCarlaKote, shared her optimism for the future despite the current bird flu outbreak in SA, which has temporarily delayed the deal’s initiation. “This deal holds enormous potential for South African poultry farmers and our clients. While we have experienced some delays due to the recent bird flu outbreak in the country, we are optimistic that once all regulatory hurdles have been addressed, we will be sending our first test order to China before the end of the year.”
Kote further added: “This trade deal is the result of collaboration between Wesgro, Standard Bank, the farming sector, and my company. Standard Bank has pledged its support to enhance and grow the broilers and abattoirs within our supply chain. The agriculture departments in Mpumalanga and Western Cape have also thrown their full support behind this initiative.”
Wrenelle Stander, CEO of Wesgro, hailed the export agreement secured by AskCarlaKote as a significant achievement in SA’s poultry industry, while also showcasing the Western Cape’s growing role as a global agricultural exporter. Stander stated: “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. This deal is a significant milestone towards achieving these goals.”
Provincial Minister of Finance and Economic Opportunities, Mireille Wenger, welcomed the exciting export agreement, saying: “As a provincial government, we are determined to do all we can to support the growth and expansion of businesses across the Western Cape. This determination is at the heart of our economic action plan, ‘Growth For Jobs’, which aims to enable the private sector to create many more jobs in this province and across South Africa. This significant export deal is exactly the kind of expansion that we are proud to have played a part in enabling, supporting many jobs in this province and beyond, to bring benefits for all.”
