South Africa's Agriculture Ministry is considering vaccinations to contain outbreaks of avian flu that have caused egg shortages in some parts of the country.

Agriculture Minister Thoko Didiza met with retailers on Monday to discuss the unfolding impact of avian influenza in South Africa and the government's efforts to contain the plague.

"[The] Minister briefed the retailers on the containment measures that have been taken to limit the spread of the disease as well as possible solutions to manage such outbreaks in the short and the medium term, including vaccination," an agriculture department statement said.

"It was evident from today's engagement that the main challenge is primarily on the egg production side, where there are supply constraints in some regions of the country.

"In response to this challenge, the minister is focusing on measures to improve the availability of egg supply to consumers and simultaneously putting measures to contain the spread of the disease," the statement said.

Several retailers, including Spar, flagged egg shortages last month after the slaughter of four million chickens. In many Gauteng retail outlets, the shelves with egg products remain relatively bare.

South Africa does not yet vaccinate chickens, but Dr Abosngile Balarane, the CEO of the South African Poultry Association, told Daily Maverick last month that it was the "long-term solution".

Didiza met the association on Friday....