Rwanda: Poultry industry stakeholders set for Africa's largest conference in Kigali

28 Septembre 2017

KIGALI, Rwanda, September 28 (Infosplusgabon) -   Poultry industry stakeholders, including producers, egg suppliers, veterinarians and decision makers from across Africa and beyond are set to convene in the Rwandan capital, Kigali, for a major conference and exhibition, dubbed "Poultry Africa",  scheduled for 4-5 October, according to a statement issued Thursday by Rwanda ministry of agriculture and animal resources.

According to the statement, thje two-day conference will be dedicated to knowledge-transfer and networking among different stakeholders in Poultry Industry in Africa.

The ministry said that the Conference is set to offer participants an insight into marketing and trade opportunities for Africa as well as health and disease issues, including antimicrobial resistance or avian influenza, along with raising awareness about poultry welfare.

While international companies active in any segment of poultry production will be presented with a platform to showcase innovative solutions for the African continent, the two-day conference is another occasion for connecting African and international producers and suppliers in Poultry and Eggs within in Africa.

However, the conference is being organized at time an early warning system has been put in place in many African countries with regards to surveillance for signs of disease in wild birds from neighboring nations where some cases of An outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N8 (bird flu) has been confirmed.

The H5N1 sub-type of avian influenza has been responsible for a number of outbreaks of disease in both wild birds and poultry in some African countries over recently.

Latest figures from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) indicate that the H5N1 epidemic, in which wild birds have also been implicated, has caused the deaths of nearly 400 people and hundreds of millions of poultry to date.

FAO experts recommend that since commercial poultry production has grown significantly in the sub-Saharan African in recent decades, it is important to increase surveillance efforts for the early detection of these influenza viruses.

FIN/INFOSPLUSGABON/AES/BKO/GABON 2017

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