Zuko Komisa
In a landmark move set to help national food security and protect the livelihoods of countless South Africans, the nation is days away from launching its inaugural poultry vaccination campaign against highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI).
This initiative aims to significantly reduce the risk and impact of future bird flu outbreaks that have previously devastated the local poultry industry.
The Department of Agriculture officially granted a vaccination permit to Astral Foods Limited on 30 June 2025, paving the way for the poultry giant to commence vaccinations at one of its broiler breeder farms.
Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen, announcing the development on Tuesday, confirmed that the initial phase will target 200 000 broiler breeders.
This represents roughly five percent of Astral’s entire breeding stock, an investment valued at approximately R35 million.
Minister Steenhuisen lauded this achievement as a shining example of the robust collaboration between the government and the poultry sector. He underscored that the vaccination campaign is crucial for building flock immunity and preventing the severe economic fallout experienced during past outbreaks.
“The 2023 outbreak led to millions of birds being culled, causing severe supply disruptions that impacted both producers and consumers,” Steenhuisen stated.
The vaccine being deployed, which targets the H5 strain of the virus, has already proven effective and is approved for use in other countries battling HPAI.
This proactive measure follows South Africa’s decision in May to suspend imports of live poultry, eggs, and fresh (including frozen) poultry meat from Brazil.
That action was taken after Brazil’s Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock reported an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1 – clade 2.3.4.4b) on 15 May 2025.
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