Cyberattack Disrupts South Africa’s Largest Chicken Producer, Causing $1 Million in Losses

A cyberattack on Astral Foods, South Africa’s largest chicken producer, has resulted in over $1 million in losses due to delivery delays and operational disruptions.

The company, which processes and sells chickens, eggs, and animal feed, announced that the attack occurred on March 16, 2025, forcing it to activate disaster recovery protocols. While operations have since returned to normal, Astral Foods warned investors that the attack would significantly impact earnings per share for the current financial period.

Cyberattack Triggers Operational Disruptions and Revenue Losses

Astral Foods, which generates over $1 billion in annual revenue, said the attack caused processing downtime and delivery backlogs, leading to approximately 20 million rand ($1 million) in lost profits.

“At the date of this announcement, all business units are operating normally following the recovery of our systems,” the company stated. It also reassured stakeholders that no confidential customer, supplier, or employee data was compromised in the breach.

Despite the financial impact, Astral Foods has not disclosed the nature of the cyberattack, whether ransomware was involved, or who was behind it. As of Monday, no ransomware group had claimed responsibility for the incident.

Cyberattacks on Food and Agriculture on the Rise

Cybercriminals have increasingly targeted food and agricultural companies, as disruptions in these industries can have severe financial and supply chain consequences.

According to the Food and Agriculture Information Sharing and Analysis Center (Food and Ag-ISAC), there were at least 167 ransomware attacks on the sector in 2023.

Large food producers such as JBS, Dole, Sysco, and Mondelez have all fallen victim to ransomware attacks in recent years, often leading to production shutdowns and financial losses. Even the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reported a cybersecurity breach in 2023.

One particularly severe case in 2021 saw a farm lose $9 million due to a ransomware attack, highlighting the growing threat to the global food supply chain.

The Growing Cybersecurity Risk in Agriculture

Astral Foods’ cyberattack underscores the vulnerability of food production companies to digital threats. Experts warn that agricultural businesses must strengthen their cybersecurity defenses to mitigate risks such as:

• Ransomware attacks that lock companies out of critical systems.

• Supply chain disruptions leading to revenue loss.

• Data breaches exposing confidential business information.

As cybercriminals continue to target essential industries, food producers worldwide must prioritize cybersecurity investments to protect operations and maintain supply chain stability.

For Astral Foods, the road to recovery has begun, but the attack serves as a wake-up call for South Africa’s food sector to fortify its defenses against future cyber threats.

{Source The Record}

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