Fears of a scarcity of chicken meat and eggs have increased since South Africa’s RCL Foods (RCLJ.J) said on Thursday that its poultry company Rainbow had killed 410,000 hens due to the nation’s biggest avian flu epidemic.
Table egg supplies in the nation have already been damaged by the outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI). This bird illness spreads quickly in an infected flock and has a high mortality rate. Producers have also warned of chicken meat shortages in the upcoming weeks.
One of the biggest chicken manufacturers in South Africa, Rainbow supplies stores and fast food establishments.
“The infection has spread quickly, and the scenario is always changing. An estimated 410,000 as of yet
The culling of birds has resulted in an estimated 115 million rand ($5.99 million) in financial effect, according to an update from RCL Foods.
Despite its efforts to prevent supply interruptions, the business acknowledged that “there is tension in the supply chain.”
Due to the bird flu epidemic, neighboring Namibia stopped importing chicken from South Africa on Wednesday. According to the country’s poultry producers’ organization, South Africa barely exports 1% to 2% of its total production.
Astral Foods (ARLJ.J), the largest integrated poultry processor in the nation, and Quantum Foods (QFHJ.J), another RCL competitor, claimed last week that the bird flu epidemic was devastating a sector already troubled by South Africa’s energy problem and rising prices.
