Bird flu could threaten food security, warns Ntshavheni
Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni says the government has put in place measures to manage and prevent the spread of bird flu.
The outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (bird flu) was first reported in May.
Since then, more than 50 cases have been recorded.
A total of 50 HPAI H7 outbreaks and 10 HPAI H5 outbreaks were reported in various parts of the country in what has been described as the worst outbreak yet.
Affected provinces include Mpumalanga, Limpopo, North West, Free State and Gauteng.
The outbreak has led to Astral Foods warning of a possible shortage in the supply of chicken in South Africa over the next couple of months.
On Wednesday, Namibia banned the import of chicken and eggs from the country with immediate effect.
Ntshavheni told a post-cabinet media briefing on Thursday that the government wants to ensure that the disease does not spread any further.
“Control measures to manage the spread of the outbreaks are in place, and farmers are encouraged to observe prescribed biosecurity measures. There is an acknowledgement that if we are not successful in managing the Avian bird flu, there might be threats to food security, in particular, the availability of poultry products.
“The Department of Agriculture will continue to ensure that the provinces that are not affected remain insulated from the spread, but also they can ramp up production so that we minimise imports to the best of our ability and increase production locally so that we can feed our nation.”
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