Poultry product prices ‘could increase further’ in coming months
The Bureau for Food and Agricultural Policy (BFAP) has warned that the price of poultry products could increase further in the coming months.
The country is currently experiencing its worst outbreak of bird flu to date.
Millions of chickens have been culled on commercial farms to limit the spread of the disease.
The crisis has already pushed up the cost of eggs.
“This impact is expected to be stronger in egg prices where an estimated 5 million layers have been culled, and it is more difficult to supplement domestic availability through imports,” BFAP said in a brief.
On Friday, the South African Poultry Association’s General Manager, Dr Abongile Balarane, told Parliament about 30% of the egg industry had been negatively affected by the bird flu outbreak.
The brief also warned that beef prices are expected to rise as demand grows in preparation for the festive season, a trend which could be exacerbated by the reduced availability of poultry due to the Avian Influenza outbreak.
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