AGRICULTURAL NEWS - With thousands of chickens and other poultry having died or been culled due to the outbreaks of the H5N8 strain of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), the South African Poultry Association (SAPA) has stated that government needed to compensate affected producers and agribusinesses.

Of the 16 cases of HPAI confirmed by the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) since late June, eight cases were confirmed in commercial poultry operations, and two cases were confirmed on ostrich farms. The remaining cases were reportedly found in wild birds, backyard chickens, and aviary birds.

Dr Ziyanda Majokweni, director of SAPA’s Poultry Disease Management Agency, said that the Animal Diseases Act of 1984 allowed for such compensation to be paid.

“Compensation should be taken in the context of a limited budget and shared responsibility for disease control. It is, essentially, a tool for disease control. Typically, [compensation] schemes are meant to, inter alia, replace livestock, assist the farmer to resume operations, [and] encourage rapid reporting [of disease],” Majokweni explained.

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