June 5, 2023

550,000 chickens culled in bird flu outbreak at Western Cape, South Africa

Izaak Breitenbach, general manager of the South African Poultry Association (Sapa), said that the latest highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreak in the Western Cape resulted in 550 000 chickens culled and many eggs destroyed to contain the disease, Moneyweb reported.

This follows a major HPAI outbreak in April that affected Quantum Foods, a JSE-listed producer of Nulaid Eggs. Quantum Foods was forced to cull 420,000 birds to prevent the spread of the disease.

As of the end of May, South Africa's Department of Agriculture, Land Reform, and Rural Development issued a notice stating that five HPAI outbreaks had been confirmed on commercial chicken farms in the Western Cape. The affected farms are currently under quarantine in an attempt to contain the disease.

Breitenbach said two farms and five sites within those farms have tested positive for HPAI, with the infection originating from wild birds rather than farm-to-farm transmission in this particular case.

To prevent potential exposure to consumers, farmers on the affected farms, as well as those within a 3 km radius of the infection site, are required to cull all chickens and destroy all eggs. Breitenbach said that none of the contaminated meat or eggs would enter the retail or wholesale chains, eliminating any direct or indirect impact on consumers.

While an exact figure of the financial loss resulting from the mass culling and destruction of eggs cannot be determined by Sapa, Breitenbach said that it is a significant setback for farmers. Quantum Foods estimated a loss of ZAR 34 million (~US$1.7 million; ZAR 1 = US$0.051) in April due to the contamination of its Lemoenkloof layer farm during the previous bird flu outbreak.

Breitenbach said that this event compounds the challenges faced by poultry producers, who are already dealing with frequent power cuts and higher feed and input costs.

As the outbreak remains localised in the Western Cape, Sapa anticipates a reduction in supply in the region, potentially leading to upward price pressure for consumers there, while consumers in other parts of the country are expected to be largely unaffected.

-      Moneyweb