Avian flu has been confirmed on a commercial layer poultry farm in the Paardeberg region in the Western Cape, the province’s agriculture department announced earlier on Sunday. This follows outbreaks at three ostrich farms in Heidelberg. More than 10,000 chickens have already died on the Paardeberg farm, which the provincial governement did not name. The farm has been placed under quarantine, and the rest of its birds are being culled. It represents yet another blow to the agriculture sector in the Western Cape, which has been hard hit by drought. "This is a priority for the poultry industry, and the entire agriculture sector. The outbreak and the current drought have made agriculture a tough space to be in," said Western Cape Minister of Economic Opportunity Alan Winde. "This is a particularly difficult time for those affected farms, which are important employers. This is why we ask all stakeholders to continue working with us to mitigate the impact of this outbreak on our economy,...
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