JSE-listed Astral Foods on Wednesday said a second of its poultry farms has been hit by the H5N8 avian influenza outbreak sweeping across South Africa.
In June, the strain had been isolated on one of Astral’s breeding sites in Villiers, costing the company some R25-million.
Despite taking what Astral described as “extreme measures” to contain any further outbreak, a second outbreak was isolated and confirmed on Tuesday in one poultry shed on a breeding farm in Standerton, where it has 48 poultry sheds.
“This new outbreak is being handled with extreme care, diligence and with the experience gained from the first outbreak,” the company said in a statement on Wednesday.
Astral noted that the financial impact of the second outbreak remained limited; however, future costs could not yet be determined.
“It is not foreseen at this stage that this incident will impact broiler supply to the processing plants or the supply of chicken to the market,” Astral commented.