January 19, 2015

Taiwan poultry sales dive as bird flu outbreaks hit farms

Recent outbreaks of the new avian flu strains H5N2 and H5N8 in Taiwan have greatly affected the sales of poultry and poultry products, according to reports. Chicken vendors said sales have dropped by 80% as many Taiwanese have stopped buying poultry.

More than 40,000 geese and ducks in Taiwan have been culled while around 60,000 have died. Thirty-nine of 86 poultry farms tested were confirmed to have been infected, according to Channel News Asia.

The CAN report said over 120,000 chickens infected with H5N2 virus in southern Taiwan were also culled.

The Council of Agriculture hopes there will be a quick rebound ahead of the Lunar New Year, if the spread of the bird flu can be contained within a month.

However, since it takes about three months to raise a goose before it is slaughtered, there are concerns about a possible supply shortage.

In the case of chicken, agricultural officials claimed the culling would not affect Taiwan's supply since those culled were raised for egg production only.