eBusiness Weekly
Elita Chikwati
The local poultry industry is on high alert, following reports of an outbreak of AI (influenza that affect birds) in North West province of South Africa.
The Department of Veterinary Services and the Zimbabwe Poultry Association are calling on all poultry farmers to be vigilant and to practice stringent biosecurity in the wake of the re-emergence of this highly contagious poultry disease in South Africa.
According to the recent Livestock Meat Advisory Council Market update, poultry production in Zimbabwe is still recovering from the effects of a single outbreak of AI a year ago that occurred on the largest poultry breeder operation in the country.
The outbreak disrupted production across the industry and resulted in a shortage of eggs and the country is yet to fully recover.
Zimbabwe was declared AI-free by the World Organisation for Animal Health on January 31 this year, but the ban on the importation of all poultry products and live birds from South Africa remains in force as a control measure to protect the local poultry industry.
It is illegal to import chicken products into Zimbabwe from South Africa; whether in large refrigerated consignments or coming through the border with packs of frozen chicken in the family grocery shopping.
This also applies to bringing in live birds from South Africa, because of the risk of AI, which can spread rapidly and decimate the whole flock.
The ministry is carrying out awareness campaigns in the border areas.
Zimbabwe experienced the outbreak last year and was declared free from avian influenza in December 2017.
However, the country is carrying out surveillance on all poultry and poultry markets.
Since South Africa reported the outbreak last year, Zimbabwe suspended imports of poultry and poultry products from that country. The suspension remains in force as they have an active infection.
The Department of Veterinary Services encouraged the public to cooperate with veterinary import controls to limit the introduction of avian influenza from other territories.
Zimbabwe and South Africa last year lost over one million chickens to avian influenza, threatening the livelihood and food security status of millions of families.
Zimbabwe culled around 215 000 birds. This affected the availability of table eggs and poultry products in the region.
The influenza came at a time when the region was struggling to recover from the El Niño-induced food shortages (2015-2016 season) further worsened by the emergence of other pests such as the fall armyworm, which devastated crops last year.
In Southern Africa, the flu was reported in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Africa and Zimbabwe.
In South Africa and Zimbabwe, the disease was identified on large commercial farms where systems to monitor outbreaks were readily in place compared to smallholder and backyard producers.
