Poultry industry leaders and veterinary experts have urged the government to fast-track a practical national bird flu vaccination programme to prevent a repeat of the devastating 2023 outbreaks.
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123RFThe call was made during an industry webinar hosted by FairPlay founder Francois Baird, featuring representatives from the South African Poultry Association (Sapa), Astral Foods, and producer Chubby Chicks.
Breaking the three-year regulatory deadlock
Sapa’s Izaak Breitenbach noted that while the poultry sector is not currently facing the "burning fires" of the foot-and-mouth disease crisis impacting cattle farmers, the threat of avian influenza remains severe.
A core sticking point remains regulatory. The industry has been locked in a standstill with the Department of Agriculture for nearly three years over vaccine requirements, which farmers argue are too onerous and expensive to implement. To date, Astral Foods remains the only producer to have vaccinated chickens at a single trial site.
Breitenbach expressed hope that the new Minister of Agriculture, Willie Aucamp, would imminently release a revised, practical framework.
"We have 35 million laying birds that need to be vaccinated," Breitenbach stated. "We must get close to 70% vaccinated, as that’s when vaccination really starts to work. The government is actively assisting beef farmers, and similar assistance should be given to poultry farmers."
Biosecurity and export viability
Obed Lukhele, a vaccination expert from Astral Foods, emphasised that science-based vaccination is a non-negotiable adjunct to existing biosecurity measures. He clarified that keeping the vaccination process strictly science-based ensures that South African producers can maintain their export protocols for adult birds and day-old chicks.
John Fourie Jnr of poultry producer Chubby Chicks added that while the 2023 crisis fundamentally transformed on-farm biosecurity protocols, small and large producers alike urgently need financial relief, suggesting that government assistance should extend to funding the vaccine doses themselves.
Breitenbach concluded that the industry is ready to brief Minister Aucamp on the scale and national importance of the poultry sector to ensure the devastation of 2023 is not repeated.
