Many jobs are at risk due to farm or processing plant closures, and organisations such as the Food and Allied Workers' Union have been holding protests aiming to get the government to create more trade protection measures. They particularly blame EU countries, accusing them of 'dumping' cheap chicken in South Africa.

Secretary-general Gwede Mantashe, of the national executive committee of the leading political party ANC, said the government must intervene to prevent the job losses being experienced in the poultry industry, according to Business Report.

He proposed that the government should buy up poultry farms forced to close by the difficulties, and find new markets for the poultry produced.