The World Veterinary Poultry Association, has disclosed that chicken meat will be scarce in South Africa in the coming weeks due to a shortage of broiler chicks, observing that the HPAI H7 avian influenza outbreak is devastating.
Penpushing reports that a veterinarian and executive board member of the association Greg Cilliers, gave the warning noting that the situation is also affecting every adult bird in Gauteng and resulting in the egg shortage consumers are now observing at retailers.
The veterinarian pointed out that the spread of the virus appears to be slowing down, but only because there are no more birds left to infect, adding that recovery will depend on the availability of a vaccine, noting there is a lengthy timeframe for the entire supply chain to return to normal.
Penpushing further reports Cilliers said that the government needs to finalize the guidelines for emergency registration of the H7 vaccine and implement a realistic monitoring protocol for vaccinated flocks.
The Executive Board Member of the association stated that the industry is currently facing significant challenges, including the high cost of production and load shedding, making it more vulnerable to cheap imports.
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