Poultry industry regulators have warned that it will take at least a year before the industry can return to some semblance of normality following the outbreak of bird flu, assuming there are no further outbreaks this year.
Farmers and communities have been urged to vaccinate their chicks and enforce tough biosecurity measures on their farms to ensure that their livelihoods are not impacted.
Not safe as yet
South African Poultry Association (Sapa) egg organisation general manager Dr Abongile Balarane said it would take the country at least 12 months to get back to normal production of 27 million hens.
“The situation is slightly improving. We are also concerned and hoping that 2024 will not be an avian influenza year, but we cannot confirm that because of mother nature. We are hoping to see vaccines enrolled soon by the department of agriculture, rural development and land reform.
“At this stage, we are aware the H5 vaccines and protocols are approved, however, the H7 vaccines are still under review,” Balarane said.
He said the full production of the industry all depends on what happens and the number of farmers who can vaccinate their chickens on time.
Meanwhile, Balarane said in terms of eggs the country had very few imports of table eggs that came from Eswatini last year.
“We also imported a bulk of products in the form of powder and liquids for industrial purposes, which has assisted us in diverting all the fresh table eggs back to the shelves.
“That is the strategy we used to balance local demand. We also imported more than two million fertile eggs for hatcheries to assist us in rebuilding the national flock,” he said.
READ NEXT: Chicken farming for beginners: Your poultry path starts here
Poultry industry is recovering
The general manager of the broiler organisation at Sapa, Izaak Breitenbach, said the industry is currently recovering from the worst avian influenza outbreaks in the country’s history, but neither poultry farmers nor industry analysts are expecting any shortages now that the threat has abated.
“Sapa recently conveyed its research and findings on the current chicken supply to the department of agriculture, land reform and rural development, advising that there is currently no shortage of chicken on the local market,” he said.
North West poultry farmer Sinah Monyeki said that she managed to start her egg business amidst the outbreak and it has been running smoothly.
“For me, I saw it as an opportunity to kick-start selling eggs. People who funded me made me aware, and I had to take all the precautionary measures to ensure that what I sell is what the market needs. Although the business is still operating smoothly, we are being warned that we are not out of the risk yet, so it’s a tough environment to operate in,” she said.
Farmers hit hard
Monyeki said as farmers they try to keep prices as low as possible for consumers, however, operational costs have gone up, which could lead to farmers passing the burden onto consumers.
“We are selling to orphanage homes, clinics, hospitals, care centres, and other self-funded institutions. Increasing the prices will be chasing them away. When it comes to the government, it can take up to five months waiting for the invoice to be paid. While we’re dealing with biosecurity measures, we also want to ensure that communities are fed. It’s a tough balance,” she said.
According to Sapa, 8.5 million birds were culled in 2023 because of the H5 and H7 strains, while in 2021 three million birds were culled because of the H1 strain, and in 2017, 2.5 million birds were culled because of the H1 strain.
Breitenbach said that despite the Animal Disease Control Act of 1984 stipulating that farmers would be compensated for culling flocks under the law, farmers did not receive a cent in recompense.
ALSO READ: Farmers demand action: Access to water is a human right
Sign up for Mzansi Today: Your daily take on the news and happenings from the agriculture value chain.
