Test tubes labelled “Bird Flu” and eggs are seen on this image illustration, January 14, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing Rights
JOHANNESBURG, Oct 5 (Reuters) – Grocery retailer SPAR Group (SPPJ.J) is exploring doubtlessly importing eggs from a number of southern African nations as South Africa’s worst outbreak of avian flu hits egg provides and threatens the availability of hen meat.
South Africa is at present grappling with an outbreak of a high-pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), a chicken flu which spreads quickly in an contaminated flock inflicting a excessive dying price.
Producers have warned of hen meat shortages within the coming weeks after thousands and thousands of chickens have been killed by the outbreak.
Meanwhile grocery retailers Woolworths (WHLJ.J) and Pick n Pay (PIKJ.J) are limiting the quantity of eggs customers should purchase resulting from restricted inventory availability.
SPAR is working intently with its accredited non-public label suppliers and companions to safe inventory and likewise “actively collaborating with larger suppliers and exploring new alternatives to make sure a constant egg provide and additional scale back threat,” Jacques Roets, divisional commodities supervisor for the SPAR Group stated.
“This diversification technique contains discussions with a number of southern African nations to doubtlessly import eggs,” Roets added.
Last week, RCL Foods (RCLJ.J) stated its poultry unit Rainbow culled 410,000 chickens, whereas its friends, together with the nation’s largest built-in poultry processor Astral Foods (ARLJ.J) and Quantum Foods (QFHJ.J), stated the outbreak was ravaging a sector already burdened by South Africa’s electrical energy disaster and rising prices.
Reporting by Nqobile Dludla
Editing by Alexandra Hudson
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
