With egg supply constraints reported in some parts of the country, the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development says it is focused on measures to improve availability of eggs to consumers and containing the spread of the avian influenza outbreaks.
Minister Thoko Didiza met with retailers to discuss the impact of the recent outbreaks in the country on Monday.
This followed a meeting with the South African Poultry Association (SAPA) on Friday.
The number of avian flu cases in the country is the highest reported since the first outbreaks at commercial farms in 2017, with some poultry producers reporting a loss of almost two million chickens this year, worth more than R100 million.
According to department spokesperson Reggie Ngcobo, Didiza briefed the retailers on containment measures taken to limit the spread of the disease as well as possible solutions to manage such outbreaks in the short and the medium-term including vaccination.
“It was evident that the main challenge is primarily on the egg production side, where there are supply constraints in some regions of the country.
In response to this challenge, the Minister is focusing on measures to improve the availability of egg supply to consumers and simultaneously putting measures to contain the spread of the disease,” he said.
He added that on the broiler side, Didiza and Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition Ebrahim Patel are assessing trade instruments to ease the supply of chicken meat.
Meanwhile, Western Cape authorities said there had been no further outbreak reported in the province since June 11.
The province previously had seven outbreaks with 1 569 702 birds being exposed to the virus and 1 398 757 culled.
Western Cape Department of Agriculture state veterinarian Dr Laura Roberts recommended discouraging interprovincial movement of birds and advised farmers to avoid these movements until avian influenza outbreaks are under control.
“It should be ensured that only healthy poultry is brought onto properties, keeping new birds completely separate for two weeks and only mix with your other birds if they remain healthy. (It’s recommended) not allowing anyone onto your property who has had contact with poultry in the previous two days, not visiting poultry belonging to others, cleaning and disinfecting vehicles upon entering and exiting properties of mud, use foot baths to disinfect footwear when entering and leaving a poultry house and keep poultry away from wild birds and their body fluids,” she said.
IntegriSure Brokers chief executive Hermanus van der Linde said: “The ripple effects of the losses extend far beyond the farms, threatening the transport industry, food security and our economy. A further pressing concern that needs to be addressed is that of appropriate insurance cover for poultry farmers caught in this predicament.”
Cape Times