Bird flu: Government lifts ban on most chicken imports from Brazil
South Africa is set to allow chicken imports from Brazilian states that do not have cases of avian influenza, commonly known as bird flu. An outbreak of the disease in one state of Brazil saw a blanket ban being imposed by South Africa, which left many fearing the consequences.
The poultry industry was left divided by the ban. Others continuously put pressure on the Department of Agriculture to partially lift the ban, while others kept reassuring the public that there is no need to worry about a chicken shortage, as local producers can make up for the gap.
However, the department has succumbed to the pressure and partially lifted the ban from Thursday, 19 June 2025.
Chicken from Brazil allowed in SA
In a statement shared with The Citizen, the department said the decision to partially lift the import ban on poultry came after it received a second report from Brazil's Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, detailing how Brazil contained the outbreak to one state.
'This partial lift may be withdrawn should the outbreak be found to have extended to other states within Brazil.'
Brazil accounts for most of the chicken sold to South Africans. Had the ban lasted longer, it might have resulted in a chicken shortage and higher prices.
ALSO READ: Bird flu brings foul times: Chicken shortage and price hike loom in South Africa
Brazil is the largest importer of chicken
The Department of Agriculture added that it will be joining other countries in partially lifting the ban on poultry imports, as Brazil exports to countries other than South Africa.
The veterinary services of the department engaged with their Brazilian counterparts to determine the extent of the outbreak, the steps taken to contain it, and whether there were any other outbreaks on other farms or in other states.
'We are glad that a month after the outbreak was reported in Brazil, we have been able to assess and confirm that risks associated with the importation of poultry and poultry products from Brazil are insignificant. We are closely monitoring the situation,' added Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen.
Safe to eat chicken from Brazil
Georg Southey, Manager of Merlog Foods, told The Citizen the lifting of the ban does not pose a risk of introducing bird flu into the country.
'The agreement is based on a regionalisation approach, meaning imports will only come from Brazilian states (provinces) not affected by the outbreak. The outbreak occurred in just one state, Rio Grande do Sul, and imports from that area remain suspended.
'The next step is to update the relevant health certificates through the World Organisation for Animal Health. Once finalised, trade can resume safely with approved states. This is a sensible and science-led step to protect both public health and national food security.'
100 million meals per week lost
He added that the decision to partially lift the ban comes at a perfect time, as South Africa has been losing more than 100 million meals per week since the ban was imposed.
'Brazil supplies 95% of our mechanically deboned meat (MDM), a key ingredient in everyday staples like polony, viennas, and sausages. These affordable proteins are essential to school feeding schemes and low-income families, and no other country could fill the gap,' added Southey.
He emphasised that speed is crucial when it comes to food security. 'There are clear lessons to be learned from the time it took to lift the ban – lessons we must apply to expedite future decisions in similar crises.'
ALSO READ: Will SA run out of beef and chicken? Animal disease hits SA's top producer — what it means for consumers
'Not out of the woods yet'
Arnold Prinsloo, CEO of Eskort, told The Citizen that they welcome the speedy response from the government, but 'we are by no means out of the woods yet'.
Eskort makes use of the MDM from Brazil to make polony, viennas, russians and braaiwors. He previously stated that the blanket ban on Brazilian imports would put production lines to a standstill before the end of June.
'Although the Department of Agriculture has agreed to a partial lifting of the suspension, the process is as follows: Brazil has to send a certificate to the government, and together they need to agree on the legalities and wording,' added Prinsloo.
'Once that certificate is in place, we can only then place orders to Brazil. Production has been halted in Brazil, resulting in a two-week lead time for production.
'Those orders will take six weeks to get here, and then one to two weeks to clear customs. Thus, there will still be an impact on consumers, businesses and food security at large.'
Jobs safe
The South African Meat Processors Association (SAMPA) also joined others in welcoming the news of the partial ban on Brazilian imports.
Gordon Nicoll, chairperson of SAMPA, highlighted that the partial ban will help the manufacturing sector retain the hundreds of thousands of jobs reliant on imports of MDM. Prinsloo had previously warned that the ban would lead to job losses.
'We are grateful for the urgency displayed by the National Department of Agriculture in averting the full-scale social and humanitarian crisis which the ban imposed on 16 May threatened to unleash.
'While it will take some time for imports of MDM to reach our shores, the situation could have been a lot worse. We hope that this crisis will provide the blueprint for South African authorities should the remaining two poultry-producing regions of Brazil report HPAI outbreaks, so we can avoid any other breaks in supply in future,' added Nicoll.
Local producers can fill the gap
The South African Poultry Association (Sapa) was the only organisation that held the view that the blanket ban on chicken imports from Brazil would not cause a shortage.
Izaak Breitenbach, CEO of Sapa's Broiler Organisation, said local producers can make up for the gap created by the ban, and highlighted that poultry products are not widely eaten during winter.
'We are currently producing about 21.5 million chickens per week, and the industry has the capacity to increase this by about another million birds per week.'
The Citizen had not received a comment from Sapa about the partial lifting of the ban by the time of publishing.
NOW READ: Bird flu: worry not, it is safe to eat eggs and chicken
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
TimesLIVE
5 hours ago
- TimesLIVE
Here's how you can tally up the sugar in your favourite food and drinks
Whether you are pursuing better dietary choices for weight loss or struggling with serious conditions like diabetes, sugar intake can become a dominant concern regarding what you have in your fridge and pantry. A recent study by Wits University found that South Africans consume more than the required amount of sugar, which is estimated at 12 to 24 teaspoons daily, though the World Health Organization suggests a daily limit of six teaspoons. Laager Rooibos partner dietitian Mbali Mapholi says hidden sugars are often 'sneaky' and can add up quickly throughout the day. She adds that certain snacks and drinks 'aren't noticeably sweet' but still contain worrying amounts of sugar, which can significantly impact one's health over time. According to Mapholi, natural sugars come in the form of lactose, fructose and sucrose, which originate in fruit, vegetables, dairy and grain foods. In contrast, hidden sugars are added to foods or drinks during processing. These sugars come in many different forms from cane sugar, agave nectar, honey, maple syrup, high fructose corn syrup, molasses, honey and fruit juice concentrates.
The Citizen
9 hours ago
- The Citizen
Zishan finds life-saving stem cell donor
When nine-year-old Zishan Reddy was diagnosed with leukaemia for the second time and needed a bone marrow transplant, his mother Goolshun, family friends, and the Ashton International College community sprang into action in the hopes of finding a donor. Goolshun issued a heartfelt plea for potential donors to register with the South African Bone Marrow Registry (SABMR), while Ashton hosted a stem cell donor drive on May 30. In a show of solidarity, teacher Robyn Daniel also dedicated her June 8 Comrades Marathon run to Zishan's fight. While Goolshun says she is 'eternally grateful for the support from South Africans', she never imagined that her son's match would come from nearly 7 300km away, in India. 'When Dr Kate Bennett shared the news with Zishan, he just threw his hands up in the air and said, 'Yes, yes, yes!' I could just see the excitement in his face,' said Goolshun. 'But with all the excitement also comes some anxiety. We are just taking it day by day,' she added. ALSO READ: Robyn achieves Comrades PB for little leukemia sufferer 'All we know is that the donor is from India, and we are eternally grateful to them for giving so selflessly and being willing to save another life. We are relieved it's a great match for my little warrior, Zishan. 'We continue to pray the transplant will be an easy and painless journey for him. We trust his strength, courage and fighting spirit will carry him through.' She extended heartfelt thanks to everyone who supported them during this journey: 'We are eternally grateful for all the love and support and hope you will continue to help others still waiting for a transplant. Thank you, and God bless, from my family to yours.' She had special words for her daughter: 'To my daughter Thuraya, thank you for being the best big sister. You are such a strong, beautiful girl, and I am super proud of you. We love you very much.' She also praised Robyn Daniel for her dedication and continued support: 'A very special thank you to Robyn for her love and support of our family. It is so heart-warming and means so much to us. She has continued to keep in touch with Zishan's treatment through regular messages. She has a heart full of love and care.' Zishan recently spent five days at Netcare Unitas Hospital receiving radiation and has since been transferred to the Wits University Donald Gordon Medical Centre, where the next phase of his transplant will begin. ALSO READ: It would mean the world to Zishan if he gets a stem cell donor
Daily Maverick
19 hours ago
- Daily Maverick
More than 70 million people in Africa are living with chronic viral hepatitis
Two to three million South Africans have chronic viral hepatitis, with most remaining undiagnosed and untreated. Hepatitis occurs when different viruses cause inflammation of the liver. Hepatitis A (HAV) and hepatitis E (HEV) viruses are mainly spread through contaminated food or water and typically cause self-limiting infections. This means that following a short period of illness — ranging from mild to severe and occasionally life-threatening — the affected person usually recovers fully. In contrast, three other types of hepatitis viruses — hepatitis B (HBV), C (HCV) and D (HDV) — are transmitted mainly through contact with infected bodily fluids such as blood, saliva and semen. This may lead to chronic infection of the liver, meaning the infection persists for at least six months. Chronic infection may last for life, and carriers, as people with chronic infection are called, remain infectious and can pass the infection to their close contacts without ever knowing they are infected. The younger someone is when becoming infected, the higher the risk of developing a chronic infection. Mother-to-child transmission A mother can also pass HBV to her child during childbirth, especially when she has a high concentration of the virus in her blood. More than 90% of babies infected by their mothers will become carriers. Mother-to-child transmission of HBV is a major contributor to the global burden of chronic HBV infection. Fortunately, HBV infection can be prevented with a safe and effective vaccine. While there is no vaccine for HCV, it can be treated and cured using effective antiviral medications. Chronic HBV and HCV infections, unless recognised and treated on time, may eventually lead to serious, often fatal conditions such as liver cirrhosis or primary liver cancer. Of the more than 300 million people worldwide estimated to be living with chronic HBV or HCV infection, more than 70 million are in Africa. Two to three million South Africans have chronic viral hepatitis, with most remaining undiagnosed and untreated. Studies from our group and others have shown that chronic HBV infection is responsible for more than 60% of primary liver cancer cases in South Africa. Primary liver cancer is more common in males and tends to develop relatively early in adulthood, cutting lives short. Alarmingly, chronic infection often goes unnoticed until it causes serious complications, by which time treatment options are very limited and usually too late. Public awareness It is therefore fitting that 28 July is commemorated annually as World Hepatitis Day to raise public awareness of viral hepatitis. The theme for 2025, Hepatitis: Let's Break It Down, is aimed at dismantling various obstacles — including financial, social and systemic barriers — that stand in the way of eliminating viral hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030. South Africa has been making commendable progress towards eliminating viral hepatitis as a public health threat. The country introduced the vaccine against HBV in the Expanded Programme on Immunisation in 1995. This has led to a significant decline in the number of infections among children under the age of five. Nevertheless, some children continue to be infected because their mothers are not tested for HBV. This can be done using a simple rapid test, and if pregnant women are found to be infected with HBV, antiviral therapy will reduce the risk of transmitting the virus to their children. Pregnant women Diagnosing pregnant women with chronic hepatitis is an entry point to medical care — not only for their own health, but also that of their sexual partners and other family members who should also be screened for HBV. In 2024, South Africa started screening pregnant women for HBV and rolling out a birth dose HBV vaccine for babies born to infected mothers. This is a long-overdue move. It is still too early to evaluate its success, which depends on full commitment from all relevant stakeholders in all provinces. A simpler alternative that is less prone to implementation issues would be to administer the birth dose HBV vaccine to every baby instead of waiting until they are six weeks old, regardless of the mother's status. While eliminating new HBV infections among children is crucial, it is equally important to diagnose those who are already infected. Diagnosis is the gateway to care. This includes antiviral treatment and regular monitoring to enable early detection of liver cancer should it develop. The latest World Health Organization guidelines for management of chronic HBV infection have been simplified by abandoning previously complicated algorithms that excluded many people who could benefit from antiviral therapy. It is estimated that currently, fewer than 10% of those who should be getting treatment for chronic viral hepatitis are receiving it. Economic benefit Diagnosing and treating more chronically infected individuals requires financial resources. It is highly likely to be cost-effective from an economic standpoint, as severe illness and death affect adults in their productive years. In addition, it will kill two birds with one stone: to prevent serious illness in the infected person and to prevent new infections. The same applies to HIV: someone who is on treatment and has a low or undetectable viral load is essentially no longer infectious to others. However, there is an urgent need to identify funding mechanisms, particularly considering the current US administration's withdrawal of donor aid. It will be wise for African countries to come together and speak with one voice when entering into any negotiations with pharmaceutical companies that manufacture antivirals for chronic viral hepatitis. Societal barriers and misinformation While providing the necessary preventative and treatment methods, we also must break down societal barriers that hinder access to clinical care. We must also address misinformation. We have heard sad stories from individuals with chronic viral hepatitis during our community engagement initiatives of being ostracised within the community because of miseducation on how the infection is transmitted and its complications. Some patients with viral hepatitis have been accused of promiscuity, while in certain cases, the development of liver cancer has been blamed on witchcraft. Health educators will need to do more to educate the general public. It will also be beneficial to have functional support groups of people living with viral hepatitis, while the involvement of prominent individuals can also help to raise awareness about viral hepatitis. We can learn from public health responses to other viral infections and borrow some of the strategies to address viral hepatitis. Together we can 'break it down.' DM
