South Africa culls millions of chickens in an effort to contain bird flu outbreaks

CAPE TOWN, South Africa — In an effort to contain numerous outbreaks of avian influenza, South Africa has euthanized approximately 7.5 million chickens, posing a risk of egg and poultry shortages for consumers, as reported by the government and the national poultry association on Tuesday.

The country has witnessed at least 60 separate outbreaks of bird flu, resulting in the deaths of at least 205,000 chickens. Over half of these outbreaks have occurred in Gauteng province, which includes major cities like Johannesburg and Pretoria. Some grocery stores in Johannesburg have imposed limits on egg purchases, with customers restricted to buying as few as one carton of six eggs. The government has acknowledged “supply constraints.”

Around 2.5 million chickens bred for meat and 5 million egg-laying chickens have been culled. This represents roughly 20-30% of South Africa’s total chicken stock, according to Izaak Breitenbach, the general manager of the South African Poultry Association.

To address potential shortages, the government is expediting import permits to allow companies to import eggs from other countries. Agriculture Minister Thoko Didiza also mentioned the possibility of a vaccination program to curb the bird flu outbreaks, as the number of affected farms continues to rise.

Neighboring Namibia has banned the import of chicken meat and eggs from South Africa due to the outbreaks.

This crisis comes amid an electricity shortage in South Africa, further impacting the struggling poultry industry. According to Breitenbach, the latest bird flu outbreaks are the most severe, resulting in estimated industry losses of at least $25 million. Importing vaccines and preparing them for use could take two to six months.

Wilhelm Mare, chairman of the poultry group in the South African Veterinary Association, expressed concern that up to 8.5 million egg-laying chickens and over 10 million birds in total could be affected, suggesting that the situation would persist for some time, describing it as “catastrophic” for the industry.

While bird flu rarely infects humans, it poses a significant threat to the poultry industry. Eggs are a vital and affordable source of protein in South Africa, and the shortage is expected to contribute to high food inflation.

The South African chicken industry has also struggled with power shortages earlier this year, resulting in the culling of millions of young chicks. Additionally, the industry has called on the government to impose permanent duties on countries like Brazil, Denmark, Poland, Spain, and the United States to counter the influx of cheap chicken products into South Africa, which threatens local businesses.