The outbreak of avian influenza at two of its breeding farms has so far cost it R50m, Astral says. The group said that despite its best efforts, the infection at its second breeding site had spread beyond an isolated shed. In a statement released on Thursday, Astral said that the avian flu at Welbedacht farm had mushroomed. "Notwithstanding a huge effort and numerous measures implemented to contain the infection to the one affected shed, the infection has spread to other sheds on the farm. "The farm remains under quarantine and Astral has depopulated the affected sheds," the poultry producer said. It stressed that it would still sell chicken to the market. "All the contingency plans have ensured continued supply of hatching eggs and broiler day-old chicks to the broiler farms, and, as such, will not have any impact on broiler supply to Astral’s poultry processing plants or the supply of chicken to the market," the group said. On June 22, Astral’s chickens suffered their first outbre...
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