Namibia resumes poultry imports from South Africa | Meals Enterprise Africa

NAMIBIA – Namibia has lifted its ban on dwell poultry and chook imports from South Africa, following a earlier suspension triggered by an outbreak of extremely pathogenic avian influenza in September 2023, based on a current assertion from the Namibian Ministry of Agriculture, as reported by Reuters.

The southern African nation, which consumes round 2,500 metric tons of hen per 30 days, had closely relied on poultry imports from its neighboring nation. 

The ban had created important challenges for Namibia’s poultry provide chain, forcing the nation to ramp up its native manufacturing, particularly amongst small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). 

Over the previous 5 years, native poultry manufacturing has seen regular progress, partly in response to those import restrictions.

Along with resuming imports from South Africa, Namibia’s Ministry of Agriculture additionally introduced the suspension of dwell chook and raw poultry product imports from Brazil’s Rio Grande do Sul state. 

This choice follows an outbreak of the avian Newcastle illness in that area. 

The ministry said that any consignments containing poultry merchandise from the affected Brazilian state, packed on or after June 18—the date the suspension took impact—can be both returned or destroyed at the price of the importer.

Namibia’s largest poultry producer, Namibia Poultry Industries (NPI), has inspired native producers to make use of the present scenario as a possibility to exhibit the nation’s functionality to attain self-sufficiency in assembly home poultry demand. 

Latest outbreaks of avian influenza in elements of Europe have additional strengthened the necessity for Namibia to keep up and broaden its native manufacturing capability, lowering dependency on exterior sources for poultry merchandise.