Bird flu hits SA ostrich farmers hard
According to Bloomberg research, more than 43,000 ostriches have been culled in South Africa since the H5N2 bird flu virus was detected in April 2011.
Outbreaks have been detected on 43 ostrich farms, with around 740 at risk of infection.
As a result, all South African fresh ostrich meat exports have been banned. The country had previously supplied around 70% of the ostrich meat consumed globally; its major competitors being China, Zimbabwe and Australia.
While meat generates around 60% of revenue from the ostriches, the leather contributes about 35% and the feathers approximately 5%.
These by-products are used by major fashion house such as Hermes, Prada and Gucci to make footwear, handbags and small leathergoods.
Although farmers have been compensated by the government, the 50 million rand ($6 million) payout falls way below the potential earnings for farmers.
