Quantum Foods has become the latest major South African poultry producer to report a bird flu outbreak, highlighting in a statement yesterday (Wednesday) that a highly contagious strain had affected at least two of its commercial layer farms in the Western Cape.
"The outbreak has only been confirmed at two layer houses but as a preventative measure, management has decided to depopulate the two sites in totality," Quantum Foods said in a statement.
This affects 9% of the group's current national table egg supply. This outbreak occurred despite stringent biosecurity measures in place at all Quantum Foods farms."
The Johannesburg Stock Exchange-listed company, RCL Foods, said in a statement yesterday that it had suffered R26 million in losses from culling chickens due to an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza.
“(Avian influenza) has recently been detected at the company’s Heuningdal breeder farm in the Western Cape, situated between Malmesbury and Darling, after also having experienced a small outbreak at our Viva breeder farm near Muldersdrift in Gauteng,” the company said in a statement.
Western Cape Minister of Economic Opportunity, Alan Winde, said in a statement that the provincial government was making it a priority to fight against the spread of the highly contagious disease.
"This is a priority for the poultry industry, and the entire agriculture sector. The outbreak and the current drought have made agriculture a tough space to be in," said Winde.
"This is a particularly difficult time for those affected farms, which are important employers. This is why we ask all stakeholders to continue working with us to mitigate the impact of this outbreak on our economy," he said in a statement.
