A bird flu outbreak hits Brazil, prompting the Department of Agriculture to suspend all import trades. This action follows the announcement by the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture reporting an avian influenza (Bird Flu) case in the Rio Grande do Sul area.

This particular outbreak impacts the South African chicken industry since Brazil is the country’s largest poultry supplier to date. 

The Department of Agriculture noted that only heat-processed poultry products, where the risk of transmitting the virus has been mitigated, will be allowed in South Africa, while other poultry products remain suspended until further notice.

The suspension of poultry imports adversely affects the South African Association of Meat Importers and Exporters (AMIE). The Chief Executive Officer of AMIE stresses that the suspension could potentially create food insecurity in the country.

He emphasizes, “A full ban on Brazilian poultry imports to South Africa will have devastating consequences for the South African poultry meat processors and consumers, particularly the most vulnerable in our society. Imported poultry not only fills the country’s poultry consumption gap but also provides the necessary competition to ensure that prices are kept in check.” He also emphasizes that chicken is the most affordable protein source for many South Africans, and that the disruption in the supply of poultry products, including bone-in and mechanically deboned meat (MDM), will significantly drive up prices and impact food security. 

*This article was first published by Eye Witness