Africa-Press – Eswatini. Amid the outbreak of the Avian Influenza virus in the neighboring South Africa (SA), Africa Chicks has opined that there is a need for Eswatini to invest in self-sufficiency.
Africa Chicks’ Julia Saulus said that, in the medium-term producers will need continue to invest in locally produced fertile hatching egg breeder farms other than relying on imports.
When responding to questions from this publication, Saulus said Africa Chicks continued to supply its main market being small-scale, local farmers. Saulus highlighted that according to the South Africa Poultry Association (SAPA) between July 2023 and September 2023 more than two million breeder hens died or were culled related to the Avian Influenza virus.
Saulus stated that many of the South African suppliers have implemented a force majeure clause in supply contracts and supply to Eswatini and reduced or stopped supply of hatching eggs.
She said Africa Chicks has and will continue to prioritise and supporting small-scale, local farmers through supply via its nine outlets. Saulus said while locally they anticipated some very temporary shortages, the process started weeks ago and hatcheries were receiving multiple loads of hatching eggs per week to accommodate farmers. “EmaSwati are in a more fortunate position compared to South Africa,” she said. She elaborated that to understand the chain better – It took 27 weeks for parent stock or breeder birds to mature and to produce fertilised hatching eggs which then are transferred to the hatchery. It takes 21 days to grow and hatch a day-old chick from an egg. The day-old chicks are supplied to broiler meat farmers, who grow them for 32 days and sell either into the live market or supply the abattoir. The abattoir then sells the final product to retailers and then consumers. If adult breeder birds are affected the entire supply chain is affected. Saulus stated that in the short-term to mitigate the supply constraints local producers were now importing fertile hatching eggs from abroad, in Europe and Brazil.
Changes
When asked if there were changes brought by the outbreak of the virus, she said many farmers had agreed that it was better to have more expensive chickens, compared to farmers across the border in South Africa and Mozambique, who have yet to import hatching eggs and no chickens to grow. Saulus appreciated the Veterinary Department in the Ministry of Agriculture, that was quick to act and allow for permits for the importation of fertile eggs. “Unfortunately, the cost of the imported egg is almost double that of a locally produced egg due to high freight charges, which have increased even further due to fuel increases and now that there is conflict in the Middle East and flight paths have had to change,” she stated.
SA is currently dealing with a number of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5 and H7 outbreaks. Up to September 21, 2023, a total of 50 HPAI H7 outbreaks and 10 HPAIH5 outbreaks were reported.
SAPA’s Izaak Breitenbach said egg shortages were already being felt, and the reduced production of local chicken meat would be felt in six to eight weeks’ time. He expected chicken imports to increase to supply local demand, particularly in the peak months of November and December. Egg imports were impractical because of the lengthy shipment period. In South Africa a vaccination programme against bird flu would not bring an immediate end to shortages of eggs and chicken meat, the SA Poultry Association (SAPA) has warned.
Focus
Meanwhile, one of Eagles Nest Directors, Derrick ‘Junior’ Chester, recently shared with this Business Desk that they continued to focus on local supply at a fair price although exports are much more attractive in terms of price currently. Chester was reacting to this publication’s question regarding the company’s business, amid the worst cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in SA. He said so far their company had not been affected by the outbreak of the virus yet. “For now we are secure in terms of production as long as we remain unaffected directly,” said Chester. Chester mentioned that should the SA markets have further outbreaks on their layer breeders we would look at a shortage in the second quarter of 2024.
Chester said so far they were able to carry on with their business despite the outbreak in SA. He said actually the virus had been there for many years, and they were able to survive it through the great assistance of the Veterinary Department under the Ministry of Agriculture in terms of preventing it to come to Eswatini.
Clear
In a previous interview, Director of Veterinary Services in the Ministry of Agriculture Dr Xolani Dlamini said so far the country was clear of the virus that had hit SA, and the situation on the ground was still normal. He said, however, prices of the chicken meat and probably eggs were set to soar due to increased production costs faced by the producers. Dlamini said Eswatini was currently not importing any chicken meat from the neighboring country but only the hatching eggs were imported. He said in order to prevent importing the virus, the broiler and eggs producers opted to import those hatching eggs from European countries like Turkey and other. The director said as a ministry, they were doing everything possible to prevent the virus from coming into the country by restricting any chicken meat importation. He added that currently, they country was producing enough of the chicken meat and eggs sufficient for the local markets.
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