KFC Closes Lesotho Locations Due to Avian Influenza Outbreak in South Africa

Fast food chain KFC has made the decision to close all of its restaurants in Lesotho due to a significant outbreak of bird flu in South Africa. The government in Lesotho has put a ban on all poultry imports from its neighboring country, which has had a severe impact on KFC's supply of chicken. KFC claims that the chickens it uses come from farms in South Africa that are certified as bird flu-free. Lesotho, a landlocked country surrounded entirely by South Africa, has been left with no choice but to enforce the import ban. South Africa has been grappling with the bird flu outbreak for several months and has culled over seven million egg-laying hens, which represents around 20-30% of the country's poultry stock. Mozambique, another neighboring country, had to slaughter approximately 45,000 infected hens that it imported from South Africa last week. Namibia also implemented a ban on South African poultry imports in September. As a result of the outbreak, there is now a shortage of eggs and chicken meat in multiple countries across southern Africa. KFC Lesotho expressed its commitment to finding a solution and assured customers that its restaurants would reopen in the near future.