Average broiler producer prices dipped in March 2026, down from a high of R35.37/kg in December 2025.
By Michael Acott
Average prices include both fresh and frozen chicken. The bulk of production is frozen products, which had a market share of 84% in March, compared to fresh chicken’s 16%.
SAPA’s producer price report for March showed that broiler producer prices averaged R33.97/kg that month. This was 0.7% below the February figure of R34.21/kg, but 3.3% higher than the average in March 2025.
Fresh broiler producer prices averaged R43.14/kg in March, 8 cents/kg higher than in February and R2.87/kg, or 7.1%, higher than March 2025.
The producer price for frozen broilers averaged R32.24/kg, a drop of nearly 1% from February but 84c/kg, or 2.7% above March the previous year.
Individually quick frozen (IQF) portions averaged R33.71/kg in March, only 10c/kg higher than in February but R2.70/kg or 8.7% higher than March 2025.
The average producer price for the first quarter – the three months to March – was R34.15/kg, a drop of 74c/kg or 2.1% from the previous quarter and an increase of R2.11/kg or 6.5% from the first quarter of 2015.
The producer price of fresh chicken in the first quarter was at an average of R43.14/kg, while frozen chicken averaged R32.44/kg.
Average broiler producer prices have risen slowly but steadily in the past four years, increasing by 12.8% in 2022, 4.5% in 2023, 0.1% in 2024 and 6.6% in 2025.
The broiler product mix for the first quarter shows the dominance of frozen chicken products. Individually quick frozen (IQF) portions accounted for 42% of production, with other frozen products being frozen cuts (15.2%), frozen sundries (13.8%), value-added frozen (7.2%) and frozen chunks/soup packs (5.1%).
The largest fresh category was fresh cuts (8.1% of the product mix), followed by value-added fresh (7.2%) and fresh whole chicken (5.6%).
This article first appeared in Poultry Bulletin (Issue 33) August/September 2026 and is republished with permission. Click the cover below for the full edition.
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