JOHANNESBURG, Oct. 10, (Xinhua/GNA) – The South African Poultry Association, said Monday that the country would import eggs in liquid and powder forms, to fill the gap left by egg shortages, due to the current avian flu outbreak.
“It would be powdered and liquid eggs, that would be imported mainly for industrial use,” said Abongile Balarane, general manager of the association, who described importing eggs from other nations as extremely difficult, as it takes a lot of time.
Liquid and powdered eggs would be used for industrial use, so that table eggs could be used by consumers, Balarane told Xinhua, adding that efforts were being made to obtain eggs from nearby nations like Namibia, and the importation of powdered and liquid eggs was given top priority.
The current avian flu outbreaks in South Africa, have forced its poultry sector to kill 2.5 million broiler breeders, and over 5 million layer hens, according to Balarane.
The avian flu epidemic has resulted in a severe shortage of eggs in South Africa, with some small stores having no eggs at all.
At some large retailers including Woolworths and Pick n Pay, there was a quota for each customer to purchase eggs, in order to avoid bulk buying.
South Africa reported the first bird flu cases in commercial farms in April, in the Western Cape Province, according to the association.
GNA