State officials must consider animals ‘healthy’ in claims for compensation
The High Court judgment sets precedent for all future cases and officials must now regard animals as being in a ‘healthy’ state, even if they were later infected
25 June 2024 - 16:16
The department of agriculture, land reform and rural development was criticised by the High Court for refusing to properly compensate a farming company in George, after an avian flu outbreak resulted in about R31m loss of chickens and poultry products.
After instituting a claim, the department decided the compensation would be valued at “nil”, but the Western Cape High Court said compensation in terms of the Animal Disease Act could not base compensation on the “yardstick” that animals are diseased and therefore valueless. ..
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