October 16, 2023

 

Association still determining avian flu's impact on South Africa's poultry sector

 

 

The South African Poultry Association (SAPA) said it was still counting the cost of the recent avian flu on South Africa's poultry industry.

 

The outbreak of the highly pathogenic H7N6 bird flu was reported in the country a few months ago, affecting poultry farmers and local businesses, hitting Gauteng the hardest.

 

More than seven million chickens have since been culled, leading to a shortage in eggs.

 

The general manager of the egg division at SAPA, Abongile Balarane, said the outbreak was devastating for the industry.

 

"We haven't put the rand value but if you look at the ones that have already been culled and the ones that are sick, we are looking at close to 30% of the egg industry," Balarane commented. "Let's assume it is 30% that is affected, it will take us almost 17 months to recover that production. But in the meantime, we will import the powdered and liquid eggs for that production."

 

SAPA called on the South African government to come to the aid of poultry farmers and businesses battered by the recent outbreak of avian flu.

 

"There hasn't been any sort of discussion around financial assistance for the affected producers," Balarane commented. "We hope that producers will be able to get some compensation but as an industry, we have not yet discussed that with government."

 

While Balarane said the rate of infection appeared to have slowed, poultry exports also took a massive knock.

 

"On the egg side, we may expect to see imports of liquid and powder eggs for industrial purposes," Balarane noted. "We're not intending to get imports of fresh, table eggs.

 

"Then, whatever eggs are available, from the current production that is available, we will then channel all those eggs to the shelves. That is what we are going to do. We've already reduced on our cross-border exports."

 

- EWN