MEC Maile to visit farm affected by bird flu

South African battery chickens in a poultry farm.Photo: EPA

South African battery chickens in a poultry farm.Photo: EPA

Published Oct 9, 2017

Share

JOHANNESBURG - MEC of Economic Development, Environment,

Agriculture and Rural Development Lebogang Maile, on Tuesday would be

visiting the Rooikraal Arendnes Farm in Boksburg,

Gauteng.

The farm has been affected

by bird flu (Avian Influenza) and has resulted in the closure of operations.

The MEC’s visit would be to solicit a deeper understanding of the impact of the

disease outbreak. the MEC would engage with senior management of the farm,

amidst the looming job losses, as a result of the closure of the farm.

Read also: 

The farm produces table eggs

and they supply the big retailers with eggs. Since the outbreak of the bird flu

(Avian Influenza), the farm had close to 400,000 layer hens which produced around 400,000

eggs per day.

Already the confectionary

market was negatively affected by the short supply of eggs to the market. What

was more worrying was that poor communities depend on eggs as an affordable

source of protein. The shortage due to the outbreak could inevitably fuel an

increase in the price of eggs.

- BUSINESS REPORT ONLINE

Related Topics: