JOHANNESBURG - South Africa’s poultry industry has received a major boost after authorities approved a vaccine against highly pathogenic avian influenza, paving the way for wider protection of commercial flocks.
The move is expected to reduce reliance on the traditional “stamping out” method, where infected birds are culled to contain outbreaks.
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The Agriculture Department says the controlled vaccination rollout will strengthen biosecurity, limit production losses, and help stabilise the country’s poultry supply chain after repeated bird flu disruptions.
Industry players have long warned that mass culling is costly and unsustainable, with global experts increasingly backing vaccination as a key tool in managing the disease. Officials say the programme will be tightly regulated to protect trade standards and export markets.