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Poultry sector in crisis

04 October 2023 | Story Prof Robert Bragg | Photo Supplied

Opinion article by Prof Robert Bragg, Veterinary Biotechnology in the Department of Microbiology and Biochemistry, University of the Free State.

The poultry sector in South Africa is currently undergoing serious challenges.

The ongoing load shedding and power disruptions have put tremendous pressure and additional costs on the industry, which makes producing poultry products extremely expensive. One company (Astral Foods) has spent an additional R919 million as a result of load shedding alone. This has obviously had a significant impact on the profitability and sustainability of the company.

Now to make matters worse – the local poultry industry has been hit with a major avian influenza epidemic.

Avian Influenza (AI) is a viral disease of birds, including poultry. The term “AI” is frequently in the news these days and often refers to artificial intelligence. In this article, the term AI refers to Avian Influenza. This is a devastating disease of poultry and can wipe out a flock in just a few days. AI is the most widely-studied disease of poultry as it has been causing major problems in poultry industries around the world for many years.

Reluctance to vaccinate

In the past (five to 10 years ago) Avian influenza (AI), was pretty much the only serious poultry disease which South Africa did not have. There have been cases of what is called low pathogenic Avian Influenza in ostriches for some time. However, the commercial poultry industry was, for a long time, free of the highly pathogenic strain of the virus. This is now, unfortunately, no longer the case.

In the past, Veterinary Services was reluctant to allow vaccination of poultry in South Africa against AI. Most of the major international vaccine manufacturers have highly effective vaccines against AI, which are widely used in many countries where AI has become well-established. There were two reasons for this reluctance to allow vaccination against AI. Firstly, there is a well-organised and -run surveillance system in place for AI in South Africa. The basis of this monitoring programme is routinely looking for antibodies against AI in commercial poultry. This surveillance system is only possible if the birds are not vaccinated. The control policy in the past was a “stamping-out” policy. In other words, when AI is detected in a flock, the flock is destroyed. Secondly, AI has not been a major problem in South Africa in the past and the previous outbreaks were successfully controlled with the stamping-out policy which was in place. Previous AI outbreaks were successfully controlled.

All this has now changed and AI is running rampant. The consequences of this will be severe.

The commercial poultry industry is based on two different types of birds – the layers and the broilers. The layers, as the name suggests, are the birds which lay eggs for human consumption. The broiler birds are the meat birds. In order to maintain the supply of both meat and eggs, there is a complex system of breeder birds, grandparents and great grandparents. These breeder birds are genetic line birds and play a critical role in keeping the market supplied with poultry products. If (and when) these breeder birds contract AI, they will die (either from the virus infection or from the control efforts). When this happens, the constant supply of hatching eggs needed to keep the layer and broiler farmers supplied with chickens to meet the constant demand for poultry products will be gone. In other words, there will be a major shortage of poultry. As poultry is the most affordable source of protein, this will cause major food shortages and additional hunger problems.

Antibodies vs viruses

There are efforts to now import vaccines against AI. This will assist with the control of the disease in the long term, but will, unfortunately, not do much to control the current problem in the short term. The reason for this is that it takes time for vaccinated birds to develop antibodies against the virus. As soon as the birds are vaccinated, their immune system will start to make antibodies. Only when there are enough antibodies, will the birds be protected. It can take up to two weeks to get sufficient antibodies. Even then, if there is too much virus in the field, the immune response of the birds can still be overwhelmed. In simple terms, if the bird has a number of antibodies (let’s use an understandable number to explain) of 10 antibodies and there are nine viruses, the antibodies win and the birds are safe. If there are 10 antibodies, but 11 viruses – the viruses win and the birds die. Obviously, these numbers are not the real numbers and are just used as an explanation. In the major Newcastle disease (NCD) outbreak in the late 1990s, the birds had very high levels of antibodies against NCD and should have been protected. However, there was so much circulating virus that the immune system of the birds were overwhelmed and this outbreak was very difficult to control.

The only short-term option for control of AI in the current situation is good biosecurity. It is essential that good biosecurity is in place on the poultry farms. Only high-quality, registered disinfectants must be used for the biosecurity efforts. The ideal product would be one which is non-toxic to the birds and can be used to continually reduce the levels of viruses in the flocks. Until the vaccination programme can take effect, the only control option is a full continual disinfection programme which would include using the disinfectant in the drinking water, provided that the product is registered for this application and also to regularly spray the birds – again only if the product is registered for this application. The registration of a product ensures that the label claims can be substantiated and there is valid scientific evidence to support the claims made by the producers of the product.

The long-term consequences of this AI infection coupled with the constant problems with load shedding will be the death blow to many small- and medium-sized poultry farmers. It may even become very difficult for the large poultry companies to survive the current crisis. In order to meet the demand for poultry products, South Africa will most likely become even more reliant on imported poultry products, which is another bone of contention.

News Archive

Inauguration of Prof Francis Petersen as 14th Vice-Chancellor and Rector of the UFS

2017-05-23

Dr Khotso Mokhele, Chancellor of the UFS, robes Prof Francis Petersen as Vice-Chancellor and Rector of the UFS.
Photo: Charl Devenish

“At the UFS, we want to produce graduates for the world, and we need to ensure that we use our knowledge to uplift society”
— Prof Francis Petersen, 14th Vice-Chancellor and Rector of the University of the Free State (UFS)

On Friday 19 May 2017, the University of the Free State (UFS) celebrated the inauguration of its 14th Vice-Chancellor and Rector, Prof Francis Petersen. The formal inauguration was held in the Odeion Theatre on the Bloemfontein Campus. The ceremony was preceded by a week-long welcoming programme on the three UFS campuses.

The guest list included representatives from local and provincial government, vice-chancellors and rectors from across South Africa, and senior members of the university’s executive management.

During the inaugural address, Prof Petersen paid tribute to his predecessors for the role they played in making the university what it is today. This included former rectors and vice-chancellors who attended the ceremony, such as Prof Francois Retief and Prof Frederick Fourie, and Prof Stef Coetzee and Prof Jonathan Jansen who were unable to attend.

Prof Petersen characterised 2015 and 2016 as watershed years for the South African higher-education system. “The Rhodes Must Fall, and subsequent Fees Must Fall student and staff protests challenged us, and re-energised a critical engagement around the purpose of the university in an equal society, both as a site of complicity and as a potential agent for social change,” said Prof Petersen.

He committed himself to developing the UFS into an institution that will have an even greater impact than before.

“This institution I am striving to establish will be one that responds positively to inclusivity, diversity, and transformation, and which can incorporate these values into our curriculum, scholarship, and research in a productive way,” said Prof Petersen.

Prof Petersen emphasised the importance of the three-campus model. “The University of the Free State is ONE university with three campuses: the Bloemfontein Campus, our South Campus, and the Qwaqwa Campus. I am committed to align the activities of the three campuses, and to integrate our activities to a greater extent.

“We must work together to infuse each campus with the values we have identified as essential if we are to make our mark as a united University of the Free State: academic excellence, diversity and inclusivity, and innovation.”

The Chancellor, Dr Khotso Mokhele, had the honour of handing over the gown to Prof Petersen. Prof Lis Lange, Vice-Rector: Academic, explained the relationship between the university and the Basotho people, and how this relationship is honoured through the official procession gowns of the UFS. The Basotho blanket is worn by kings, and the university therefore hopes that the symbolism of the gown would be a source of inspiration to Prof Petersen.

The event was concluded by congratulatory messages from former colleagues and the President of the Student Representative Council on the Bloemfontein Campus, SK Luwaca. The event was elegant and graceful – the inaugural address was thought-provoking and inspiring.

Official Inauguration Ceremony:

19 May 2017
Bloemfontein Campus

Description: Official Inauguration photo small Tags: Official Inauguration photo small

"I challenge you to dream big and do big." - Prof Petersen

Photo Caption: Dr Khotso Mokhele, Chancellor of the UFS, robes Prof Francis Petersen as Vice-Chancellor and Rector of the UFS.
Photo: Johan Roux

Short biography of Prof Francis Petersen
Inaugural address: 19 May 2017
Transcription of the ceremony
Photo Gallery
Video

Welcoming Ceremonies:

The week of 11-19 May 2017 was one of the highlights in this year’s calendar for staff and students of the University of the Free State (UFS), with various ceremonies taking place to welcome Prof Francis Petersen – who assumed his duties on 1 April 2017 – as the 14th Vice-Chancellor and Rector. The festivities culminated in the official inauguration ceremony at the Bloemfontein Campus on 19 May 2017.

The Qwaqwa Campus welcoming ceremony took place on Thursday 11 May 2017, attracting a wide spectrum of community leaders from the area. Prof Petersen was welcomed by representatives from the two trade unions, National Education Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu) and UVPERSU, as well as representatives from the Student Representative Council (SRC), the Thabo Mofutsanyana Education District, and the House of Traditional Leaders. Paramount Queen Mopeli of the Bakoena Royal House bestowed a special honour upon Prof Petersen by clothing him in a traditional Basotho blanket and hat. She said, "From our heart of hearts, welcome, Prof Francis ..., and all Godspeed during your tenure."

The South Campus in Bloemfontein hosted a welcoming ceremony for the new Vice-Chancellor and Rector on 18 May 2017. The ceremony included a number of vocal performances and messages from various stakeholder groups. The same afternoon, the Institute for Reconciliation and Social Justice (IRSJ) also facilitated a panel discussion, titled Diversity, inclusivity, and social justice and the renewed call for decolonisation, in the Albert Wessels Auditorium (AWO) on the Bloemfontein Campus.

The welcoming ceremonies culminated in an event in the Callie Human Centre on Friday 19 May 2017 at the Bloemfontein Campus, with a number of performances by musicians associated with the UFS, marimbas, drum majorettes from Jim Fouche Secondary School, the Grey College Gumboots, and school choirs from Eunice Secondary School, Brebner Primary School, and Willem Postma Primary School. Representatives from key stakeholders such as Nehawu, UVPERSU, the Campus Ministries Forum, SRC, Alumni, Convocation, and the UFS Council had the opportunity to convey their messages of welcome to Prof Petersen.

The formal inauguration ceremony took place in the Odeion Theatre on the Bloemfontein Campus the same day.

Qwaqwa Campus ceremony:

11 May 2017
Qwaqwa Campus

"Qwaqwa Campus is the perfect laboratory for sustainable sciences.” – Prof Petersen

Photo caption: Paramount Queen Mopeli of the Bakoena Royal House with Prof Petersen and his wife, Cheslyn.
Photo: Mamosa Makaya

Photo Gallery
Video

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Transcription of the ceremony

South Campus ceremony:

18 May 2017
South Campus

"South Campus: you aspire excellence, adding to diversity and you are innovative in what you do." - Prof Petersen

Photo caption: Flag bearers and drummers walking to the Madiba Arena.
Photo: Hannes Pieterse

Photo Gallery

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Transcription of the ceremony

Bloemfontein Campus panel discussion:

Panel discussion: Diversity, inclusivity and social justice and the renewed call for decolonisation
18 May 2017
Bloemfontein Campus

Description: Panel discussion 18 May 2017 Tags: Panel discussion 18 May 2017

"The UFS should be a place of belonging for everyone." - Prof Petersen

Photo caption: from left: SK Luwaca (SRC President, Bloemfontein Campus), Prof Elelwani Ramugondo (UCT), Prof Francis Petersen (UFS), Prof Melissa Steyn (WITS), Prof Andre Keet (UFS)
Photo: Lelanie de Wet

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Transcription of panel discussion

Bloemfontein Campus ceremony:
19 May 2017
Bloemfontein Campus

Description: Bloem welcoming ceremony on 19 May 2017 Tags: Bloem welcoming ceremony on 19 May 2017

"I can just say, Wow! I've experienced a lot during the welcoming functions on all three campuses." - Prof Petersen

Photo caption: Prof Francis Petersen, Vice-Chancellor and Rector of the UFS
Photo: Rulanzen Martin

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Transcription of the ceremony

Photo gallery of Inauguration and Welcoming Ceremonies

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