March 21, 2023

Egg prices in Japan soaring amid record 16 million birds culled due to bird flu

Egg prices in Japan are soaring as the bird flu outbreak in the country resulted in a record 16 million birds marked for culling since the first outbreak was detected in October last year, Xinhua News reported.

About 80 bird flu cases have been reported among poultry companies in 26 of Japan's 47 prefectures.

Japanese egg seller JA. Z-Tamago said the wholesale price of medium-sized eggs in Tokyo as of March 2, 2023 was JPY 335 yen (~US$2.50; JPY 100 = US$0.76) per kg, the highest price since data first became available in 1993.

Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries said more than 90% of culled birds are egg laying hens, resulting in reduced egg supplies and higher prices.

More restaurants in Japan are choosing to stop serving dishes that contain eggs due to concerns over the egg shortage.

It is expected that it will take at least six months for egg supplies to return to pre-bird flu outbreak levels.

An official from Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries said poultry farming has begun to resume, and production should start from early spring. But it will take some time for numbers to recover because farms won't immediately return to full capacity, the official said.

-      Xinhua News