Avian flu has hit South Africa - a series of outbreaks prompted a string of bans from neighboring countries

The import of poultry from South Africa has been banned by Botswana, Namibia and Mozambique due to a series of bird flu outbreaks over the past couple of weeks. Two of these were reported last week and are believed to have a very large impact on the poultry industry. Nearly 300,000 birds have been killed in the country, with one farm losing 250,000 birds to bird flu.

“We are investigating two outbreaks reported again in Johannesburg and one in the North West. For now, we are asking all growers to remain extremely vigilant, limiting the movement of people and vehicles inside and outside their farms. Employees should also shower in the morning when they arrive at work and wear clean clothes as the flu spreads quickly,” said Colin Steenhuizen, spokesman for the country's poultry association.

In 2020, according to the South African Poultry Association, South Africa exported 10,608 tons of eggs and 12,835 tons of broilers to Mozambique. Namibia imported 23 tons of eggs and 8,015 tons of chickens, while Botswana imported 394 hatching eggs and 2,304 chicks. In the last couple of years, the country has been trying to protect the local industry by reducing imports of poultry MEAT. As a result of outbreaks of avian influenza, the situation may change.