Cape Town – A veterinarian and an executive board member of the World Veterinary Poultry Association, Dr Greg Cilliers, has reportedly issued a warning that chicken meat will become scarce in South Africa in the coming weeks.
Quoting Business Report, IOL, said that he attributed this scarcity to a severe outbreak of HPAI H7 (Avian Influenza) that has caused the death of broiler breeders, resulting in a shortage of broiler chicks in the market.
According to Cilliers, the outbreak is the worst the industry has experienced due to a single virus in just four months.
The outbreak has affected all adult birds in Gauteng, leading to an egg shortage at retailers.
“This is the worst disease outbreak our industry has suffered due to a single virus in a matter of 4 months,” the report quoted him as saying.
Cilliers said that the spread of the virus appears to be slowing down because there are no more birds left to infect.
As price increases triggered by the avian flu start to bite, the South African Local Government Association in KwaZulu-Natal is calling on the Finance Minister to temporarily lift VAT on poultry products. SALGA says a 15 percent reduction in poultry product prices would safeguard… pic.twitter.com/aVWb191EEs
— eNCA (@eNCA) October 8, 2023
“All affected broiler and layer breeders have either been culled or died. A small amount of recovered layer birds did not die and should come back into production. The challenge now is restocking bird numbers in an environment that is contaminated with virus.
“Without a vaccine, this is simply not possible. All birds that will become adult layers need to be vaccinated, this is not negotiable,” he said.
The impact of this outbreak is felt throughout the entire supply chain, affecting businesses that sell chicken, day-old chicks, and related products.
Cilliers said that the recovery process for broiler breeders takes a significant amount of time, up to 36 weeks, dependent on vaccine availability. For table eggs, the recovery process is even longer, at 47 weeks.
To address the situation, Dr. Cilliers emphasised the need for expedited registration and use of a vaccine. He called on the South African Department of Agriculture, Land Reform, and Rural Development to finalise guidelines for emergency registration of the H7 vaccine and establish a monitoring protocol for vaccinated flocks.
Meanwhile, South Africans are upset about the recent surge in egg prices, with a tray of 30 eggs now costing over R129.99 and 60 eggs priced at R239.99.
The price increase is causing concern in a country where eggs are a dietary staple, and the cost of living has been steadily rising, Zululand Observer reported.
Again Supermarkets that claim they help and assist with monthly grocery bill HIKES egg prices because of the bird flu. Why increase the price of eggs, they do not manufacture them, or is this just an opportunity to RIP off the consumer again. Why charge R100 more GreatPrice TSK pic.twitter.com/JH4V49tg3w
— JO (@AllThingsImport) October 5, 2023
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
