The Tanzanian government has culled 5 000 one day old chicks that were smuggled through the northern border from Kenya.

Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Livestock Maria Mashingo said the chicks were destroyed to prevent the potential spread of avian influenza, or bird flu, from Kenya.

She said the consignment was seized from an importer who did not have the necessary documents, and knowingly acted in violation of a ban on chicken imports that dates back to 2007.

“There is no need for us to destroying the entire local poultry sector because of only 5 000 chickens,” Mashingo said.

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