South Africa urgently needs vaccination programmes to protect its poultry and cattle, agriculture minister John Steenhuisen told the annual AVI Africa poultry conference last week.
He said outbreaks of preventable diseases such as citrus black spot, foot and mouth disease and avian influenza (HPAI or bird flu) were “economic shocks” for the country.
“They threaten jobs, exports, food security and national confidence”.
The 2023 bird flu outbreak had shown how vulnerable the poultry industry was. In response to this threat, his department had launched an urgent, co-ordinated vaccination roll-out plan.
“This is the first time South Africa is deploying vaccines at this scale to combat avian influenza.
“Our vaccination team, comprised of poultry specialist vets from the University of Pretoria, along with the Agricultural Research Council, has received a list of farms to be vaccinated and is prioritising high-risk areas and commercial flocks to contain the virus and prevent further culling.
“We have secured vaccine supply, ensured cold chain capacity, and are building in traceability and reporting mechanisms as part of a wider preparedness strategy. In addition, we have appointed 50 animal health technicians on a short-term contract to assist with the vaccination roll-out, and we expect induction and refresher training to begin next week.”
He also gave details of an upgraded programme to combat foot and mouth disease after recent outbreaks in two provinces. These included vaccination and animal traceability programmes, establishing a biosecurity council and upgrading the Onderstepoort biological products facility to “restore vaccine self-sufficiency”, he said.
Steenhuisen listed improved biosecurity as one of the seven pillars of his agricultural vision for South Africa.
“Biosecurity is not an agricultural issue alone. It is a national security issue, and we are treating it as such.”
The bird flu vaccination programme was “just the start” of a quick government response to problems facing the poultry industry.
“We will continue to work side by side with producers, retailers, and consumers to safeguard the industry’s long-term future,” the minister told enthusiastic poultry delegates.
