RCL Foods culls 410 000 chickens amid bird flu outbreak
RCL Foods said on Thursday its poultry unit Rainbow has culled 410 000 chickens due to the country's worst outbreak of avian flu, heightening fears of chicken meat and egg shortages.
The outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), a bird flu which spreads rapidly in an infected flock causing a high death rate, has already impacted table egg supplies in the country and producers have warned of chicken meat shortages in the coming weeks.
Rainbow is one of South Africa's largest chicken producers, supplying retailers and fast food businesses.
"The outbreak has moved at a rapid pace, and the
situation is constantly evolving. To date an estimated 410 000 birds have been culled, which has resulted in an estimated financial impact of R115-million," RCL Foods said in an update.
The company said it was taking steps to avert supply disruptions, but "there is tension in the supply chain."
On Wednesday, neighbouring Namibia suspended poultry imports from South Africa, citing the bird flu outbreak. However, South Africa only exports between 1% and 2% of its production, according to the country's poultry producers' association.
Last week, RCL's peers, including the country's largest integrated poultry processor Astral Foods and Quantum Foods, said the bird flu outbreak was ravaging a sector that was already burdened by South Africa's electricity crisis and rising costs.
Comments
Research Reports
Projects
Latest News
Showroom
Avlock International is a leading manufacturer and distributor of Specialized Fastening Systems.
VISIT SHOWROOM
At John Ratcliffe, we are aftermarket specialists for heavy-duty on and off-road vehicles. We engineer and retrofit advanced safety systems, engine...
VISIT SHOWROOM
Press Office
Announcements
What's On
Subscribe to improve your user experience...
Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):
Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):
All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors
including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.
Already a subscriber?
Forgotten your password?
Receive weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine (print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
➕
Recieve daily email newsletters
➕
Access to full search results
➕
Access archive of magazine back copies
➕
Access to Projects in Progress
➕
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA
R4500 (equivalent of R375 a month)
SUBSCRIBEAll benefits from Option 1
➕
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports on various industrial and mining sectors, in PDF format, including on:
Electricity
➕
Water
➕
Energy Transition
➕
Hydrogen
➕
Roads, Rail and Ports
➕
Coal
➕
Gold
➕
Platinum
➕
Battery Metals
➕
etc.
Receive all benefits from Option 1 or Option 2 delivered to numerous people at your company
➕
Multiple User names and Passwords for simultaneous log-ins
➕
Intranet integration access to all in your organisation
