The poultry industry is demanding that government explain the clearly different handling of vaccination programmes for poultry and cattle.

By Carien Kruger, senior journalist at African Farming and Landbouweekblad

Last year, Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen promised both the cattle and chicken industries large-scale vaccinations against foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) and bird flu, respectively.

Thus far, chickens on only one farm in South Africa have been vaccinated against bird flu, even though the disease cost the broiler and egg industries billions of rands in 2023 and led to the culling of millions of chickens.

The South African Poultry Association (SAPA) says there appears to be more progress with the planned vaccination of cattle against FMD – although cattle farmers would have liked to see far more progress by now. According to SAPA, the requirements for FMD vaccinations appear, at face value, to be less stringent than those for bird flu.

The United States And Europe Experienced A Large Number Of Bird Flu Outbreaks During Winter In The Northern Hemisphere. This Signals Significant Risk For South African Producers In The Coming Winter. Photo: Carien Kruger — The United States and Europe experienced a large number of bird flu outbreaks during winter in the Northern Hemisphere. This signals significant risk for South African producers in the coming winter. Photo: Carien Kruger

Controlled Diseases, Different Rules

Both bird flu and FMD are controlled diseases, meaning the state controls the vaccination programmes and farmers cannot act independently. SAPA says that while the bird flu vaccination programme has ground to a halt because of strict regulations, FMD vaccinations are being approved more easily.

“We raised this inconsistency with an Article 23 committee,” says Izaak Breitenbach of SAPA. “This is the committee – chaired by Dr Nkhane Nengovhela from the animal production division in the Department of Agriculture – that must investigate our complaints that the standards for the biosecurity protocols for bird flu vaccinations are too high and that the monitoring protocol is too expensive and impractical.

“The committee advised us to take the matter up directly with the minister. I wrote to Minister Steenhuisen in the first week of February and hope to meet with him to discuss this.”

Also read: Government eager for start of poultry industry’s vaccinations against bird flu

Different Standards for Different Sectors

SAPA points out that FMD vaccinations are being carried out without a clearly defined vaccination-and-observation protocol. This contrasts with the situation in the poultry industry, which has so far been unable to negotiate a more practical and affordable set of rules with the state.

The association also notes that there is a special and accelerated registration process for vaccines against the three known FMD serotypes. Breitenbach says the same does not apply to bird flu vaccines, which are registered under the Fertilizers, Farm Feeds, Agricultural Remedies and Stock Remedies Act (Act 36 of 1947).

Vaccines against the H5N1 bird flu virus serotype are registered, but none yet against the H7 and H9 serotypes, which also pose significant risks to the industry. The H9 serotype is a new variant identified last year in Mozambique. The association has not yet submitted any applications in this regard.

The H7N6 serotype, a unique South African variant, caused the greatest losses in South Africa in 2023. Breitenbach says a vaccine has been developed locally, but it must still go through a full testing process.

Also read: Bird flu vaccination: 11 important questions answered

Industry Says Systems Already in Place

So far, it is only the broiler producer Astral Foods that is vaccinating chickens, specifically breeding chickens on one farm.

The producer must follow strict, comprehensive and costly monitoring protocols to ensure that there are no birds already infected with the virus in the flock being vaccinated. The protocol requires state veterinarians to take the samples, but the state does not have enough veterinarians to do this.

“Now the state wants private veterinarians to take the samples at producers’ expense. We say farm personnel are trained to do this and can take the samples, but Dr Maja does not want to give the approval.

“We are of the opinion that Dr Maja is insisting on too many samples, which makes the process expensive. We also propose that the samples be pooled, but she disagrees.”

According to SAPA, the cattle industry receives significant financial and staffing support, which is not the case in the poultry industry. “State veterinarians are deployed to help cattle farmers with vaccinations and funding of about R1,8 billion is reportedly being sought to support this sector,” Breitenbach says. In contrast, poultry producers are expected to bear the full cost of vaccinations, monitoring and animal health technicians.”

Dr Shahn Bisschop, a poultry veterinarian, told African Farming in July 2025 that the first bird flu vaccinations (by injection) are administered at one day old in hatcheries, with subsequent vaccinations given on farms.

“In hatcheries and on farms there are teams specifically trained to vaccinate chickens against various diseases, as has been done for years against, among others, Newcastle disease. The same techniques will be used to vaccinate against the bird flu virus.”

African Farming approached the minister’s office as well as the Department of Agriculture for comment on SAPA’s views, but has received no response yet.