Several grocery retailers in Gauteng are currently dealing with egg and chicken meat shortages, which has led to the noticeable absence of eggs on their store shelves, all due to the Avian flu (HPAI H5N1), better known as the ‘bird flu’ outbreak.
Meanwhile, other stores are implementing restrictions on the quantity of eggs customers can purchase, and the government has acknowledged the existence of “supply constraints.
Last week we reported that: Namibia has suspended the import of chicken and eggs from South Africa due to avian flu outbreak.
The bird flu has caused the death of over 205,000 chickens in at least 60 separate outbreaks nationwide, with the majority occurring in Gauteng province.
On Monday, 2 October 2023, the Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, Ms. Thoko Didiza, MP, held a meeting with retailers to discuss the impact of avian influenza in South Africa. During the meeting, the minister addressed containment measures, supply constraints in egg production, and potential solutions to manage outbreaks, including vaccination.
Izaak Breitenbach, General Manager of the South African Poultry Association (SAPA), has revealed (per farmersweekly) that since the start of 2023 until now, the industry has culled over 5 million commercial egg-laying chickens and more than 2.5 million chickens bred for their meat due to the outbreak.
Breitenbach confirmed that the virus doesn’t harm humans, and he mentioned that vaccines would have to be imported and should be available for use in two to six months.
Moneyweb predicts a possible chicken and egg price increase ahead of the festive season.
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