This is according to the South African Poultry Associations' (SAPA) avian influenza monitoring report for the first three months of the year. SAPA says since the start of the northern hemisphere winter, there have been severe outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza in that part of the world, including North America. The association adds that the poultry industry has already suffered severe losses since the current outbreaks started in April 2021. Up to mid-March this year, a total of 3.7 million birds have been culled, 2.9 million in the egg industry and 800 000 in the broiler industry.

Anaplasmosis, also known as gall sickness, is an animal disease that is caused by ticks and can cause lack of appetite and a high fever. Dr Berry Mutowembwa, a veterinarian at the Agricultural Research Council, explains that the African blue tick, Asian blue tick and red-legged tick are all primary vectors of anaplasmosis. These ticks are found in the coastal regions of the Western- and Eastern Cape, as well as in parts of KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, Gauteng, Limpopo and North West. Some of these ticks are also found in the eastern parts of the Free State.

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The GDP numbers released by Statistics South Africa show that in the first quarter of 2022, agriculture's gross value-added grew by 0,8% quarter-on-quarter. The Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa (Agbiz) believe that this quarterly growth is on the back of improved activity in the horticulture industry and some field crops, such as soybeans and sunflower seeds, amongst others. OFM News' Elsabé Richard-May reports Agbiz notes that while the 2021/22 agricultural production season started on a downbeat footing, with excessive rains damaging some crop and vegetable fields, a breather from mid-January allowed for replanting and recovery in some fields.

OFM News