26 October 2023
By: Carien Kruger
Producers are losing billions of rand due to avian influenza outbreaks, but the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development says it cannot afford to pay compensation and farmers are responsible for biosecurity.
“Compensation is necessary,” says Izaak Breitenbach, CEO of the broiler chicken organisation of the South African Poultry Association (Sapa).
The association wants the state to create a disaster fund from which farmers whose flocks have been devastated by highly contagious avian influenza can be compensated.
The unique South African H7N6 strain has caused significant losses in recent months, especially in Gauteng. Of the 96 confirmed H5 and H7 outbreaks this year, 69 were in Gauteng.
Although the incidence of H7 outbreaks has started to decrease this month, farmers are still dealing with losses and the cost of new chicks. In the egg industry alone, losses are estimated at R3 billion.
Breitenbach told the parliamentary committee for agriculture, land reform and rural development on Friday that Sapa wants the state to compensate farmers for the mandatory culling during outbreaks, as compensation is as an incentive for farmers to cull and thus bring outbreaks under control.
“There are more than nine farms that haven’t culled because they aren’t compensated for it. We can’t afford it,” he said.
Sapa has also asked the state to approve vaccines so new chickens can be protected against the disease. Vaccination will also protect producers next winter.
A committee member asked if farmers couldn’t insure themselves against such losses, and Breitenbach replied that no insurance is available for this in South Africa because the risk is so high.
‘State can’t afford it’
Dipepeneneng Serage, deputy director-general, said legislation makes clear that it is farmers’ duty to prevent diseases; they “can” be compensated, but the state is not obliged to do so. “The state simply doesn’t have the money,” he said, adding that the state realises culling will force some farmers to abandon their operations.
He referred to the recent movement of chickens from North West to George, which caused an outbreak of the H7N6 strain there, as “reckless … one would think farmers would ensure they take all precautions”.
Dr Mpho Maja, director of animal health, said the chickens came from a farm in a compartmentalisation system, where chickens are tested monthly. They showed no clinical signs of infection when they were moved.
According to Serage, the state will tighten biosecurity control. “We are in the process of finalising the regulations. From now on, the movement of chickens will be controlled.” The regulations will be published in the Government Gazette soon.
New strain not detected as quickly
Maja said unlike with the H5N1 strain responsible for earlier outbreaks this year in the Western Cape, signs of H7N6 appear “fairly slowly”. A producer notices an H5N1 infection within days. Chickens die quickly and few survive. “H7 moves rather slowly and is not as deadly as H5. Some chickens survive it.”
Farmers previously told Landbou.com it seems the virus “spreads with the wind” but Maja said there are indications of mechanical spread between farms, possibly through trucks, people and equipment. This could explain why producers don’t become aware of the disease as quickly.
‘Vaccination must be judicious’
Maja said vaccination will not solve all problems and will not replace biosecurity. “It will not prevent chickens from getting infected, but fewer viruses will be shed.”
Vaccinated chickens do not show clinical symptoms when infected, so much more monitoring is needed on farms, which the farmer must pay for. The state does not want indiscriminate vaccination as it may cause a strain to become endemic in the country.
Farmers not culling
Regarding farmers who applied not to cull chickens after an avian influenza outbreak, Maja said the department gave them biosecurity measures as a condition for exemption, to protect neighbouring farms. Sentinel chickens which have not been exposed to the virus must be placed among the surviving chickens to see if they get sick, indicating the virus is still being shed.
Other measures include pasteurising eggs from such farms after the state lifts quarantine. No live chickens from such farms may be sold, and they must go directly to a slaughterhouse.
