The association says the country is facing a severe egg shortage due to the ongoing avian flu outbreak that has affected poultry farms in all provinces except the Northern Cape.

The outbreak has also resulted in higher prices for poultry meat and eggs. SAPA Chief Executive Officer Abongile Balarane says about 7.5 million chickens have been culled so far to contain the spread of the virus.

Balarane says some of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries have surplus eggs that can be imported to South Africa (SA), but this requires official approval from the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development and Veterinary Services.

He says some of these countries have alternative sources of protein and some SA farmers also operate farms in other SADC countries.

"It's very rare for us to import from them, usually they import from us. But currently because of the situation that we have- they've got some storks available for us, but now we need to open that officially through the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development and Veterinary Service.

Fortunately, some of the SADC countries have got different alternatives for protein sources- so you've got also farmers also like let's say a farmer from South Africa- who's also farming in Angola. So such farmers they can be able to move the stocks from one farm to another," Balarane says.

--SABC--