The avian flu epidemic that has devastated poultry flocks around the world is the worst since records began, causing egg prices to skyrocket, threatening free-range birds and could have long-term effects on animal health. About informs Bloomberg agency.
Bird flu season traditionally begins every October. But this year, cases spread rapidly during the warmer months, increasing the spread of the virus and causing mass cullings. According to the World Organization for Animal Health, poultry losses since October are almost 70% higher than last year, reaching 16.1 million on 1 December. Prior to that, more than 138 million birds were lost in the 12 months to September, according to WOAH; that’s more than the previous five years combined.
“In the US, UK and elsewhere this has raised concerns about seasonal specialties like roast turkey for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners. But poultry is a staple of the world’s diet, and culling is limiting the food supply from eggs to foie gras and is causing food inflation to hit consumer budgets this year. Farmers are on the alert, as the vaccine may still be many years away, ”the article continues.
Dirk Mulder, animal protein expert at Rabobank Nan, told the agency that global poultry meat production will increase by about 1% this year and next year, falling 2.5% behind historical norms. “This is driving prices up,” he said.
“Although the risks are increasing at the same pace at the moment, high prices are supporting poultry farmers. There is demand but no supply. It’s a pretty uncertain market,” Mulder said.
Source: Gazeta
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