Over 35 000 chickens died in Gauteng due to load-shedding

28 June 2023

Over 35 000 chickens have died, and more than 5000 were culled due to load-shedding in Gauteng.

This is causing the price of chickens to go up as poultry farmers cannot keep up with the supply and demand from retailers.

This information was revealed in a reply to the Democratic Alliance’s questions tabled in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature (GPL) to the MEC for Agriculture and Rural Development, Mbali Hlophe.

The MEC further revealed that broiler farmers are the hardest hit by the ongoing load-shedding.

This is because broiler farmers require more electricity during the first week of the chick’s placement to maintain the required temperature using infrared lights.

Furthermore, the growth rate is affected because chickens are non-nocturnal feeders. During load-shedding, there won’t be light, and chickens are unable to eat. Once feed intake is affected, the growth rate will be compromised.

Load-shedding negatively impacts farmers with egg-laying chickens because the egg grading machine requires power to grade eggs into different sizes.

Delays in grading eggs will mean that the farmers will not be able to meet the high market demand, resulting in business losses.

Load-shedding has also provided the perfect opportunity for criminals to steal equipment like borehole pump motors, electrical cables, and transformers.

In addition, load-shedding has cost poultry farmers around R2 million. The poultry farmers have also incurred additional costs through procuring backup power.

Load-shedding has an impact not only on the unemployment rate in the province but also on the price of basic food.

The DA will continue to push for broadening the zero-VAT food basket to include essentials like bone-in chicken, beef, margarine, baby food, and soup powder.

Issued by Bronwynn Engelbrecht, DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Agriculture and Rural Development, 28 June 2023