Latest news with #H7N6
Daily Maverick
08-06-2025
- Health
- Daily Maverick
Explainer: South Africa's chicken vaccine play may already be too late
South Africa is finally vaccinating its chickens, but unfortunately, it won't protect against the virus that's already shredded the industry. Here's the kicker in the Department of Agriculture's long-delayed greenlighting of mass poultry vaccination: Biosecurity Council proactivity will lead to the roll-out of H5 vaccines that can't protect against the H7N6 strain, the viral villain of the avian flu outbreak of 2023, the country's worst yet. A vaccine for the H7 mutation? Still 'in the registration process,' says the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development. Meanwhile, the virus most responsible for wiping out nearly 10 million birds in 2023 is still loitering in Mpumalanga, Limpopo and Gauteng, like a bad flu that just won't go away. Graphic by Yeshiel Panchia Don't panic, but it's endemic now, circulating in wild birds and on edge-of-recovery farms. And there's no shield against it, not even a metaphorical one. Wait, what is 'biosecurity'? John Steenhuisen has not explained that no farm has yet met the biosecurity protocols required to vaccinate against any strain, according to the South African Poultry Association (Sapa). 'Onerous' and 'prohibitively expensive' are the words the association is using. But this chicken-and-egg situation isn't new. It's the latest act in a decade-long outbreak drama that has seen small farmers bankrupted, prices skyrocket and government agencies perpetually one step behind. Nowhere is the policy and practicality mismatch clearer than in the agriculture department's long-standing 'nil compensation' policy. Graphic by Yeshiel Panchia Chicken and the egg The logic behind the concept introduced in 1984 was sound. In cases where animals are infected with a highly contagious disease, the government mandates their destruction to prevent further outbreaks. The argument for nil compensation is that infected animals have no market value and cannot be sold, making compensation unnecessary. However, the government must balance the interests of farmers with public funds. Paying compensation for infected animals could create financial strain, especially in large-scale outbreaks – especially when financial sanctions were hurting the economy (in 1984). To be fair, the 1986 amendment of the Animal Diseases Act provided for the possibility of compensation. So the move towards a 'nil compensation' policy for avian flu appears to be significantly influenced by the 2009 amendment to Regulation 30, which granted the director discretionary power over compensation amounts and the subsequent interpretation that diseased birds hold no value. A blunt instrument But this approach, cemented after the 2017 outbreak, has arguably done more harm than good. With no safety net, farmers have every reason not to report infections. The results? Delayed containment. Unregulated culls. And, in some cases, infected birds sold into the informal market. That incentive structure came under legal fire last year when a George-based farmer took the state to court over a R32-million loss from 387,000 culled chickens and 5.39 million eggs destroyed in a 2021 outbreak. In a Western Cape Division of the High Court ruling, the judge ordered the agriculture department to reconsider the claim, using the value of the birds in a healthy state as the basis. If enforced, it could open the door to billions in retroactive claims. But enforcement is the key word. As of mid-2025, there's still no confirmation that the agriculture department has changed its stance – or that it will. The future is viral Steenhuisen's department wants vaccination to be the foundation of a future-proof poultry sector. Which is fair, but vaccines alone won't cut it, especially when half the threat is unaccounted for. This is a virus that doesn't just travel across provinces. It migrates with birds, adapts, mutates and ignores borders. And the state's current selective vaccination, compensation and regulation playbook won't fix that. The new Biosecurity Council could help coordinate a smarter response. There's cautious optimism that weekly negotiations between Sapa and the agriculture department might produce more realistic vaccination protocols. The industry is pushing hard for a tiered, affordable system that doesn't just favour industrial-scale producers. But unless H7 vaccines become available soon, and unless the state offers fair compensation and support for biosecurity upgrades, we're looking at a future where avian flu is endemic and chicken is a luxury item. DM
Otago Daily Times
03-06-2025
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
Climate resilience high on agenda
Climate resilience is back on the agenda — literally. KPMG has released its 2025 agribusiness agenda which drew on insights from nearly 200 industry leaders and outlined their priorities. Biosecurity remained the number one priority, for the 15th consecutive year, but climate resilience was back in focus — increasing by more than 40% to 18th place, after slipping last year. In his forward, KPMG New Zealand global head of agribusiness Ian Proudfoot said one of his biggest surprises in last year's report was that the need to proactively consider managed retreat and farm system transition to more climate resilient options was ranked in last place. "To me, it personified a 'nothing to see here' mentality that enables leaders to deprioritise something hard when the burning platform only appears to be smouldering — even if it is widely accepted that it's only a matter of time before the flames flare again. "I recognise that initiating conversations that could lead to fundamental changes in people's lives ... is really hard. However, we don't help ourselves or our communities by avoiding these conversations and tolerating continued piecemeal reaction over a planned, strategic response." Among the global volatility, it was critical for organisations to discern what were shocks — unexpected events that had consequences but did not ultimately change the long-term direction of travel — in comparison to deep shifts in the direction of travel for global society that would continue regardless of shocks. He cited climate change as a good example, as nothing had happened that year or in any recent year that had fundamentally altered the inexorable increase in temperatures and resulting weather consequences. "Factual data from credible agencies shows the trends; the deep shift is unfortunately well-established. The shock is the pushback that is occurring against organisations and individuals that seek to initiate and lead difficult conversations," he said. Biosecurity incursions that year — including the detection of the H7N6 strain of avian influenza in Otago and fruit flies in Auckland suburbs — eliminated any complacency that might have crept into the sector, the report said. Progress made on eliminating tuberculosis and Mycoplasma bovis raised the question for a contributor of what could be possible if the same spirit of collaboration extended into other biosecurity risks. People and workforce issues dominated the top 10 priorities, including immigration settings, migrant worker protections and sector career opportunities. The report highlighted the urgent need to attract and retain talent across the value chain — from on-farm roles to high-tech innovation — with a key focus on ensuring fit-for-purpose, on-the-job training was retained. As global markets were in flux, leaders were also prioritising the signing of high-quality trade agreements and the development of resilient, diversified supply chains. The agenda noted growing interest in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and India.
Otago Daily Times
27-05-2025
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
Climate resilience high on agenda for agribusiness sector
Climate resilience is back on the agenda — literally. KPMG has released its 2025 agribusiness agenda which drew on insights from nearly 200 industry leaders and outlined their priorities. Biosecurity remained the number one priority, for the 15th consecutive year, but climate resilience was back in focus — increasing by more than 40% to 18th place, after slipping last year. In his forward, KPMG New Zealand global head of agribusiness Ian Proudfoot said one of his biggest surprises in last year's report was that the need to proactively consider managed retreat and farm system transition to more climate resilient options was ranked in last place. "To me, it personified a 'nothing to see here' mentality that enables leaders to deprioritise something hard when the burning platform only appears to be smouldering — even if it is widely accepted that it's only a matter of time before the flames flare again. "I recognise that initiating conversations that could lead to fundamental changes in people's lives ... is really hard. However, we don't help ourselves or our communities by avoiding these conversations and tolerating continued piecemeal reaction over a planned, strategic response." Among the global volatility, it was critical for organisations to discern what were shocks — unexpected events that had consequences but did not ultimately change the long-term direction of travel — in comparison to deep shifts in the direction of travel for global society that would continue regardless of shocks. He cited climate change as a good example, as nothing had happened that year or in any recent year that had fundamentally altered the inexorable increase in temperatures and resulting weather consequences. "Factual data from credible agencies shows the trends; the deep shift is unfortunately well-established. The shock is the pushback that is occurring against organisations and individuals that seek to initiate and lead difficult conversations," he said. Biosecurity incursions that year — including the detection of the H7N6 strain of avian influenza in Otago and fruit flies in Auckland suburbs — eliminated any complacency that might have crept into the sector, the report said. Progress made on eliminating tuberculosis and Mycoplasma bovis raised the question for a contributor of what could be possible if the same spirit of collaboration extended into other biosecurity risks. People and workforce issues dominated the top 10 priorities, including immigration settings, migrant worker protections and sector career opportunities. The report highlighted the urgent need to attract and retain talent across the value chain — from on-farm roles to high-tech innovation — with a key focus on ensuring fit-for-purpose, on-the-job training was retained. As global markets were in flux, leaders were also prioritising the signing of high-quality trade agreements and the development of resilient, diversified supply chains. The agenda noted growing interest in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and India.
Otago Daily Times
28-04-2025
- Health
- Otago Daily Times
‘Huge relief' as controls lifted at poultry farm
Controls have been lifted at an Otago poultry farm now that bird flu has been successfully stamped out at the site. Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) chief veterinary officer Dr Mary van Andel said yesterday movement controls had been lifted from Mainland Poultry's Hillgrove Farm, near Moeraki, after the H7N6 strain of high pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) detected there in December was successfully eradicated. Mainland Poultry chief executive John McKay said reaching the milestone was a "huge relief" and the company was excited to begin repopulating the farm after a long and comprehensive process to rid the site of bird flu. The farm was shut down and about 160,000 birds were culled before a lengthy cleaning and disinfecting phase. "Although we still have a bit of work to do before the farm is fully operational again, reaching this phase has given us a boost of optimism and confidence," Mr McKay said. Biosecurity New Zealand placed strict movement controls on the egg farm after testing confirmed HPAI in chickens at the property that likely developed from interactions with local waterfowl and wild birds. While the strain was not the H5N1 type circulating among wildlife around the world causing global concern, the government and industry took the find seriously. Mr McKay said Mainland Poultry was hugely grateful for the support received from colleagues, fellow farmers, government officials including MPI, the food industry, trade customers and industry groups such as the Poultry Industry Association of New Zealand and the Egg Producers Federation. "It's been nothing short of amazing," he said. "There was a high level of understanding and empathy for the situation we were in and a sense of 'we are all in this together' because what affects one of us has the potential to affect everyone. "We are only as strong as our weakest link, so every single producer must remain vigilant and have robust plans in place to protect the national flock." Dr van Andel said more than 5600 tests were carried out on samples from both poultry and wild birds, including from 36 flocks across five farms linked to Mainland's Hillgrove property. "HPAI was not found anywhere other than Hillgrove, giving confidence that the disease had been contained and stamped out," Dr van Andel said. Chickens that were culled were humanely euthanised and disposed of in a secure landfill, along with eggs, litter and manure from the farm. The processes followed, including the culling, cleanup and extensive surveillance made MPI confident that the virus had been eradicated. MPI had worked with overseas government counterparts and industry partners in New Zealand to meet market requirements and had also proposed alternative assurances to some markets. It was still working towards the reopening of trade to some markets. "Good progress is being made to restore trade, with around $300million of trade in poultry products recovered to date." Mr McKay said the impact of the incident on the company had been "profound" but was not expected to have a lasting effect. "The outbreak has had a significant effect on animals, people and resources. "There's also been a financial impact, but our primary objective has been to do the right thing, limit the impact and protect our business and industry in the process. "The egg supply was largely unaffected, but we will welcome a return to full production as soon as possible."
RNZ News
28-04-2025
- Health
- RNZ News
Controls lifted at Otago poultry farm after high pathogenic bird flu eradicated
About 200,000 chickens were culled from Mainland Poultry's Hillgrove Farm in Otago after the H7N6 strain of high pathogenic avian influenza was discovered in December. Photo: Supplied An Otago poultry farm where the country's first case of high pathogenic bird flu was discovered last year can now start repopulating. About 200,000 chickens were culled from Mainland Poultry's Hillgrove Farm in Otago after the H7N6 strain of high pathogenic avian influenza was discovered in December . The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) has now lifted biosecurity movement restrictions on the farm with the virus having been eradicated. Mainland Poultry chief executive John McKay said they were very pleased to get to this stage and were looking forward to being fully operational again. "We've been through the three key steps of depopulating the farm, disposing of all the material in a biosecure manner and then the cleaning and disinfecting stage. It's a long process and it's a detailed process but it's really important to get it right." The virus is believed to have spread from wild birds to free-range laying hens foraging outside. It was not found anywhere else. Eradication efforts saw all chickens on the farm humanely euthanised and disposed of in a secure landfill, along with eggs, litter and manure from the farm, followed by site decontamination and extensive surveillance, including more than 5600 tests being carried out. McKay said it had been a "tough" few months for the team and the business. "Obviously, there's a big cost on business in going through a response like this and there's costs on people." Mainland Poultry was still working through the compensation process with MPI which won't be completed until the farm has fully repopulated. This was expected to take at least a year to complete as the new birds would be introduced in a staged process across the farm's eight laying sheds. While they wanted to get back to business as quickly as possible, McKay said it was important to do this in a "measured and monitored way" Day-old chicks would be brought into the rearing sheds and kept there for 15 weeks before being transferred to laying sheds. "We're feeling really confident about getting birds back on farm." The restrictions being lifted, felt like "light at the end of the tunnel", McKay said. He credited their success in eradicating the virus to support from MPI, which he described as "first rate", and a collaborative and proactive industry response prior to the outbreak. "If you go through a response like this is just reinforces the need for all of us in the poultry sector to take our biosecurity very, very seriously." Gas bottles are being moved from the entrance to further onto Hillgrove Egg Farm on 3 December 2024. Photo: RNZ / Tess Brunton MPI chief veterinary officer Dr Mary Van Andel said the removal of the movement controls was a "significant milestone". "The processes we have followed - depopulation and disposal, decontamination of the site and extensive surveillance - give us confidence that the virus has been eradicated," she said. "We're grateful to Mainland Poultry, which did the right thing in notifying us as soon as an exotic disease was suspected and for working with us in partnership to successfully stamp out this disease." Dr Van Andel said MPI staff would continue to support Mainland as the farm is repopulated. "Good progress is being made to restore trade, with around $300 million of trade in poultry products recovered to date." MPI has worked with overseas government counterparts and industry partners in New Zealand to meet market requirements and has also proposed alternative assurances to some markets. MPI continues to work towards the reopening of trade for others. Many lessons had been learned through the response to the outbreak, the first time such an event in New Zealand has been documented. These lesson would help prepare for the H5N1 strain if it spread to New Zealand, with Dr Van Andel adding it was still important for the industry to remain vigilant. "Absolutely industry and the ministry are focussed on ongoing preparedness and making sure we are upping our game on biosecurity and resilience, and this operational planning in what we've learned to be ready for any future challenges." Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard said the collaborative approach was key to the eradication. "It has been important work, because New Zealand's robust biosecurity system and the relative freedom from pests and disease that it protects play a massive part in our farmers' competitive advantage." He said all the work that has been going in to prepare for the possible arrival of the H5N1 strain of avian influenza that has led to millions of bird deaths overseas, put New Zealand in a good position to deal with the less virulent H7N6 strain found on the farm. "This was the first detection of HPAI in New Zealand and it tested some of the plans that are being developed for the arrival of HPAI H5N1. It certainly provides a timely reminder that all New Zealanders have a role to play in being prepared and that is through strong biosecurity as an essential first line of defence. "Our geographic isolation has protected us from H5N1 to date, but we can't afford to be complacent." Anyone concerned about unwell poultry should contact their vet, and for unwell wild birds contact MPI on 0800 809966. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
