Cull after bird flu outbreak

South Africa is to start culling 30,000 ostriches after an outbreak of bird flu but the Agriculture Ministry said a compensation deal for the farmers must first be agreed.

"The culling is expected to start today," in the Eastern Cape province, ministry official Segoati Mahlangu said. "The plan is that we are going to start with the affected two farms and at the same time continue with testing in the other farms in the area."

Traces of the mild H5N2 strain of bird flu were found in samples taken last week from two ostrich farms in the Somerset East area, north of the city of Port Elizabeth.

Mahlangu said the Government was holding "discussions with the affected farmers" on compensation.

The ministry banned all exports of poultry and poultry products including to the two biggest markets - the European Union and Switzerland.