The lethal HPAI H7 strain of Avian flu or bird flu has hit a number of South African provinces. EPA/RAJAT GUPTA
Namibia said on Wednesday that it has suspended imports of of live poultry, birds and poultry products from South Africa due to the spread of bird flu.
“Importation and in-transit movement of live chickens, poultry meat, eggs and chicks from South Africa would be suspended until further notice,” Namibia’s agriculture ministry said.
The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development said South African is battling with a number of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5 and H7 outbreaks.
Gauteng was the harshest affected province in terms of HPAI H7 with 37 outbreaks, followed by two outbreaks in Mpumalanga, two in Limpopo, two in the North West, and one in the Free State.
Last week Quantum Foods noted that it had detected a bird flu outbreak on the company’s farms in Gauteng and the North-West province.
As a result the company was forced to cull about 2 million chickens.
In a statement, the group said the highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreak to date had affected approximately 1.5 million of the company’s layer and breeding stock.
Quantum Foods said the overall impact of the HPAI outbreak on the South African poultry industry, and its full financial effect on the company, was not yet known as this would be dependent on the volume of eggs available for sale going forward, however, as of September 21, 2023, the estimated value of the company’s birds affected by the HPAI outbreak was R106 million.
It should be noted that Astral foods has also been impacted by the outbreak.
IOL NEWS has reached out to a number of SA retailers to see how this will impact the price of poultry products for consumers in South Africa.
This is a developing story...
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