'State should step in as Brazil bird flu outbreak jeopardises chicken imports'

Government urgently needs to implement proactive measures to avoid a looming crisis in the chicken industry, following the announcement from Brazil, South Africa’s top source of imported chicken, that it has detected two cases of avian influenza in wild birds

This was according to Fred Hume, managing director of meat wholesaler Hume International.

According to guidelines from the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), the incident will not trigger a ban on poultry exports from Brazil unless the virus spreads to commercial flocks. However, the contagious nature of the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has led to the worst global outbreak of bird flu on record, which means that South Africa must prepare for the worst, Hume said.

“If imports from Brazil are banned, there would be an immediate and potentially crippling impact on the local market, which would cost thousands of jobs, cause dramatic increases in prices, and result in supply shortages,” he said.

“It’s not only prudent but necessary to consider the dire consequences that would unfold should the outbreak impact chicken imports from Brazil. Local poultry producers simply cannot satisfy local demand, and South Africa is heavily reliant on Brazil to fill the void in supply,” he said.

VITAL IMPORTANCE OF BRAZILIAN MEAT TO LOCAL SUPPLIES