The move marks a departure from the long-standing disease control approach that relied heavily on the mass culling of infected and exposed birds, a strategy that has been blamed for substantial financial losses in the poultry sector and higher food prices for consumers.
South Africa’s poultry industry is set for a significant policy shift after Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen announced plans to amend animal disease regulations to allow the use of vaccines against highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), commonly known as bird flu.
The move marks a departure from the long-standing disease control approach that relied heavily on the mass culling of infected and exposed birds, a strategy that has been blamed for substantial financial losses in the poultry sector and higher food prices for consumers.
In a statement on Wednesday, Steenhuisen said the decision followed a formal objection lodged by the South African Poultry Association under the Animal Diseases Act.
The association argued that existing regulations had left producers without practical and affordable options to manage recurring bird flu outbreaks and had forced them into costly destruction of poultry flocks.
