Latest news with #AstralFoods
IOL News
3 days ago
- Health
- IOL News
South Africa's poultry industry takes a proactive step with avian flu vaccination permit
Farming associations have welcomed news that South Africa issued its first permit to integrated poultry producer Astral for the vaccination of poultry against avian flu Image: File picture Farming associations have welcomed the issuing of the first permit to integrated poultry producer Astral Foods for the vaccination of poultry against avian flu. This comes after global outbreaks of Avian flu in America and Brazil. The Minister of Agriculture, John Steenhuisen, on Tuesday announced that South Africa will embark on its first-ever vaccination campaign for poultry in the coming days as a proactive measure to minimise the risk of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreaks. Francois Rossouw, the CEO of the Southern African Agri Initiative (Saai), said that granting Astral a permit to vaccinate broiler breeding stock against HPAI was a crucial step forward for the poultry industry. 'From both a veterinary and agricultural perspective, this move strengthens our ability to prevent outbreaks, protect food security, and stabilise the industry economically. Breeding stock forms the foundation of poultry production,' he said. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading Rossouw added that by vaccinating them, the industry was not only reducing the risk of disease but also avoiding the devastating financial and supply disruptions seen in past outbreaks. 'This decision shows that the department recognises the urgency of proactive disease management and is willing to work with the industry to ensure the continued availability of affordable, locally produced protein for South African families.' Izaak Breitenbach, the CEO of the South African Poultry Association, said that HPAI was a controlled disease managed by the department and therefore, the industry cannot just vaccinate when it wants to, like other diseases. 'Issuing the first permit for vaccination against HPAI to Astral Foods is a historically important event. To date, we could only rely on biosecurity and culling to control the disease, two processes that have proven ineffective against the disease, not only in South Africa but also in Europe and the USA,' he said. Breitenbach added that the issuing of the first permit in this regard was not the end but the beginning of a process to do mass vaccination of all long-living chickens in South Africa to prevent the huge losses the industry suffered in recent years. Dawie Maree, head of FNB Agriculture Marketing and Information, said it was a positive step in the right direction and long overdue. 'It must be noted that it is only long-living birds (breeding flock) that will be vaccinated and not broilers. And it is also for the one strain H5N1 and not H7N1 (the vaccine for the latter is not yet approved),' Maree said. 'But it is good that we can at least start. South Africa and the producers can't afford another devastating outbreak, especially in the breeding flock.' Wandile Sihlobo, chief economist at the Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa, said that this was an encouraging step and follows a lengthy scientific assessment process. 'We all recall the 2023 avian influenza outbreak that resulted in egg shortages and higher prices. We also have a vivid memory of the egg shortages in the U.S. at the start of this year, which were also caused by the widespread avian influenza that affected their breeding stock,' he said. Sihlobo added that South Africa's decision to kickstart the vaccination was a welcome development, and an approach that the country should follow even in the years to come. 'We must ensure that the regulations remain agile so that, if there are outbreaks of new strains in the future, we can register vaccines speedily and effectively, allowing poultry businesses to avoid losses and maintain solid food security conditions.' BUSINESS REPORT
IOL News
4 days ago
- Business
- IOL News
Astral Foods calls for government support as bird flu vaccination programme expands
At any one point, Astral runs with about 4 million broiler breeders in stock although the company will not necessarily be vaccinating all of them. Image: Supplied Tawanda Karombo Astral Foods, which is planning to expand its recently approved bird flu vaccination programme, wants the government to ease conditions for such initiatives and to finalize payments of compensation to the industry for birds culled to control diseases in the past few years. This appeal comes in the wake of mounting challenges within the poultry industry, which has been grappling with heightened biosecurity risks following successive bird flu outbreaks. Gary Arnold, CEO of Astral Foods, told Business Report in an interview on Tuesday that the company will ramp up its poultry vaccination against bird flu. This comes after the company on Monday announced that the Department of Agriculture had approved its bird flu vaccination program at one of its farms in the country. 'It's only 5% being vaccinated. We do have plans to expand it. We'll have to (expand it), now that we have firmed up the process with the Department of Agriculture,' Arnold said. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ However, the company said it would be helpful if the government sped up compensation payments to the industry for birds culled as a disease control mechanism. Arnold, nonetheless, reckons that 'bio-security is the responsibility of producers' as the government doesn't have resources and ability to go around to everyone's farm enforcing it. The government had to aid the industry to enhance bio-security through easing regulatory processes and procedures. 'The government can help through regulatory reforms. The conditions under which we are allowed to vaccinate are very stringent and expensive because you have to comply with all the monitoring and surveillance and this makes it very difficult for everyone to vaccinate,' said Arnold. The South African Poultry Association has been engaging industry regulators over the past 18 months to thrash out a set of guidelines that the industry believes are less onerous to implement but still enforceable. The industry is pursuing recognition of conditions around which producers can vaccinate without exposing the whole industry to any unnecessary risk. This comes at a time when the South African poultry industry is facing heightened biosecurity risks. This has made it imperative for industry players to be extra careful of risks assocxiated with spreading the disease. 'Monitoring and surveillance of flocks is extremely important once they're vaccinated, (but) that is also a cost attached to that, but it is critical to ensure the safety of the livestock in South Africa,' explained Arnold. But with the approval of the vaccination program for one farm, Astral Foods hopes to 'expand this to include other' farms it runs. Arnold added that the company's intention was always 'to get one blueprint farm going that could guide both the Department of Agriculture and ourselves' on the process. The vaccination against bird flue costs the company about R2 to R2.50 per bird over its life cycle. It is a necessary cost for Astral which together with other industry players in SA and globally that nolonger have access to bird flue insurance. 'Astral used to pay a premium for bird flu insurance. Now, bird flu insurance is no longer available to any producer in this country and globally… They stopped it after 2023 because of the large claims that they had against them on the severe outbreak in 2023 so that was the last time that insurance cover was available,' Arnold revealed.
The Herald
4 days ago
- Health
- The Herald
Mass vaccination against bird flu to start soon: Steenhuisen
South Africa will soon embark on its first-ever vaccination of poultry as a proactive measure to minimise the risk of bird flu outbreaks, agriculture minister John Steenhuisen said on Tuesday. This follows the department of agriculture's issuance of a vaccination permit to Astral Foods on Monday, authorising the company to begin vaccinating against the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus at one of its broiler breeder farms. The department said the vaccination campaign will begin with 200,000 broiler breeders, representing about 5% of Astral's total breeding stock, valued at an estimated R35m. Steenhuisen welcomed this milestone as a testament to the strong partnership between government and the poultry industry in safeguarding national food security and protecting the livelihoods of thousands of South Africans. The vaccination campaign was a vital step to strengthen flock immunity and prevent the devastating economic losses witnessed during previous outbreaks, Steenhuisen said. The 2023 outbreak resulted in millions of birds being culled, which led to severe supply disruptions that affected both producers and consumers. He said the vaccine being used, targeting the H5 strain of the virus, was already approved for use in other countries implementing vaccination strategies against HPAI. TimesLIVE
TimesLIVE
5 days ago
- Health
- TimesLIVE
Mass vaccination against bird flu to start soon: Steenhuisen
South Africa will soon embark on its first-ever vaccination of poultry as a proactive measure to minimise the risk of bird flu outbreaks, agriculture minister John Steenhuisen said on Tuesday. This follows the department of agriculture's issuance of a vaccination permit to Astral Foods on Monday, authorising the company to begin vaccinating against the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus at one of its broiler breeder farms. The department said the vaccination campaign will begin with 200,000 broiler breeders, representing about 5% of Astral's total breeding stock, valued at an estimated R35m. Steenhuisen welcomed this milestone as a testament to the strong partnership between government and the poultry industry in safeguarding national food security and protecting the livelihoods of thousands of South Africans. The vaccination campaign was a vital step to strengthen flock immunity and prevent the devastating economic losses witnessed during previous outbreaks, Steenhuisen said. The 2023 outbreak resulted in millions of birds being culled, which led to severe supply disruptions that affected both producers and consumers. He said the vaccine being used, targeting the H5 strain of the virus, was already approved for use in other countries implementing vaccination strategies against HPAI.
Bloomberg
5 days ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
Top South Africa Poultry Producer Starts Bird Flu Vaccination
Astral Foods Ltd., one of South Africa's biggest poultry producers by revenue, will start vaccinating chickens against bird flu after getting approval from the nation's agriculture department. The company will start immunization against the H5 strain of the avian influenza virus at one of its large broiler breeding farms in the Gauteng province, it said in an emailed statement on Monday. It will use a commercially available shot supplied by an international manufacturer.
