Ostrich industry on alert after bird flu outbreaks

The ostrich industry remains on high alert following the recent outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) confirmed on three poultry farms in South Africa.

According to Francois de Wet, managing director of Cape Karoo International, HPAI posed a grave threat to the industry, as ostriches were raised in open-air camps where they were susceptible to diseases transmitted by wild birds.

Since the first large outbreak of HPAI in 2011, the ostrich industry had adhered to strict biosecurity protocols to prevent transmission, regardless of whether or not there was an outbreak of the disease under way, he said.

“Movement of ostriches from one farm to another, or from a farm to an abattoir, is only allowed if ostriches test negative for avian influenza and are signed off [as such] by a representative of the [Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development].”

De Wet added that further biosecurity measures, such as chlorination of water and disinfection of vehicles and people entering an ostrich farm, were all standard practice.

“During the last big outbreak in 2017, an estimated 40 000 ostriches were culled, which had a [severe] impact on producers.”

He said that once a case had been confirmed on a farm, the property was immediately placed under quarantine and no birds that tested positive were moved.

Johannes Delport, an ostrich farmer in the De Rust area of the Klein Karoo, said that in addition to strict biosecurity measures, his farm also had a strict traceability system in place: all his ostriches were tagged at the age of four months, with information on every bird verified by the Ostrich Business Chamber.

South Africa slaughters approximately 140 000 ostriches a year, and the industry produces about 2 500t of steak and fillet cuts annually, of which exports make up 500t.

“There’s one farm in Limpopo that is allowed to export raw ostrich meat to the EU, while [producers in] the rest of the country are only allowed to export heat-treated meat, which makes up around 400t, with the remainder being [absorbed by] the local market,” De Wet said.