Poultry industry on bird flu alert
Namibia's contingency plan for an outbreak of bird flu has been updated and more stringent import regulations were implemented last week.
According to the Namibia Agricultural Union (NAU) the increasing occurrence of bird flu outbreaks in South Africa have Namibian poultry and egg producers on high alert and strict bio-safety measures are being implemented at the various companies. The situation is monitored closely by the Namibian Poultry Producers Association and regular contact is made with the Namibian Directorate of Veterinary Services (DVS), the union said.
“DVS revised the conditions of import of poultry and poultry products from South Africa. These more stringent import conditions were implemented last week,” the NAU said. According to the union Namibia's contingency plan for an outbreak of bird flu has also been updated. “Due to bird flu not only being transmitted by poultry and poultry products, but also through wild birds, the implementation of very strict bio-safety measures on poultry farms is crucial,” the NAU stressed. These measures by the poultry industry follow an outbreak in South Africa that has spread to several provinces in the past two months. Since the end of June, South Africa has detected 24 outbreaks of the H5N8 strain of bird flu, including 10 at commercial chicken farms and three at ostrich farms.
The disease has been reported in Mpumalanga, Gauteng and recently also in KwaZulu-Natal, the North West and the Western Cape provinces. Following a complete ban on poultry imports from South Africa, Namibia amended the ban at the end of July. Namibia now allows imports of poultry and poultry products originating from certain areas, called 'compartments', certified by the South African Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) to be free of bird flu.
These compartments must be located 90 kilometres from confirmed outbreaks and the poultry must be slaughtered at approved abattoirs.
Monthly tests are done at these compartments to confirm that they remain free of the disease.
ELLANIE SMIT
According to the Namibia Agricultural Union (NAU) the increasing occurrence of bird flu outbreaks in South Africa have Namibian poultry and egg producers on high alert and strict bio-safety measures are being implemented at the various companies. The situation is monitored closely by the Namibian Poultry Producers Association and regular contact is made with the Namibian Directorate of Veterinary Services (DVS), the union said.
“DVS revised the conditions of import of poultry and poultry products from South Africa. These more stringent import conditions were implemented last week,” the NAU said. According to the union Namibia's contingency plan for an outbreak of bird flu has also been updated. “Due to bird flu not only being transmitted by poultry and poultry products, but also through wild birds, the implementation of very strict bio-safety measures on poultry farms is crucial,” the NAU stressed. These measures by the poultry industry follow an outbreak in South Africa that has spread to several provinces in the past two months. Since the end of June, South Africa has detected 24 outbreaks of the H5N8 strain of bird flu, including 10 at commercial chicken farms and three at ostrich farms.
The disease has been reported in Mpumalanga, Gauteng and recently also in KwaZulu-Natal, the North West and the Western Cape provinces. Following a complete ban on poultry imports from South Africa, Namibia amended the ban at the end of July. Namibia now allows imports of poultry and poultry products originating from certain areas, called 'compartments', certified by the South African Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) to be free of bird flu.
These compartments must be located 90 kilometres from confirmed outbreaks and the poultry must be slaughtered at approved abattoirs.
Monthly tests are done at these compartments to confirm that they remain free of the disease.
ELLANIE SMIT
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