February 24, 2005

Poultry sector in Canada on the road to recovery

The poultry sector in Canada is starting to return to normal after the devastating avian flu outbreak last year.

The outbreak caused "an enormous physical, financial, and emotional toll on everyone involved," said Lisa Bishop, spokesperson for the Chicken Farmers of Canada. The cost to the British Columbia industry where the outbreak occurred is estimated at about C$100 million, she said.

The meat industry is back up and running at pre-avian flu levels, said Bishop. Close to 80% of the 19 million chickens culled at the time tested negative for avian flu and went into the marketplace, she added.