October 20, 2022

 

Near-record number of US poultry killed due to bird flu

 

 

A near-record number of US chicken and turkey have been killed due to bird flu outbreaks across the country, as a different variant of the virus has infected more wild birds that spread the virus, Reuters reported.

 

Infections and cullings have caused the deaths of more than 47 million birds. This has prompted export restrictions, decreased the production of eggs and turkeys, and led to record prices for the basic foods ahead of the US holiday season. Economic hardship for consumers struggling with skyrocketing inflation is made worse by the outbreak.

 

The deadliest US outbreak in 2015, which resulted in 50.5 million bird deaths, was the nation's worst animal health incident to date.

 

Rosemary Sifford, chief veterinary officer for the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), said farmers are battling a subtype of the H5N1 strain of the virus that survived over the summer, when rising temperatures typically reduce avian flu.

 

She said the goose/Guangdong lineage subtype is spreading throughout Europe. The avian flu outbreak in Europe has already resulted in the culling of nearly 50 million birds.

 

The subtype is being discovered by officials in a wider variety of wild birds than in the past, including ducks, and it appears to live longer in the birds, according to Sifford. As they migrate, she said there may still be a high risk of infection through the summer of 2023.

 

The US is currently keeping an eye out for avian flu in four flyways, an increase from the previous two, and will do the same thing the following year.

 

Sifford said this virus could be present in wild birds for the foreseeable future."

 

USDA records showed that the outbreak has infected flocks in 42 states since February, which is twice as many as in 2015. This year's summer saw a slowing of infections, but not a complete cessation as in 2015.

 

Some farmers, who have increased cleaning and security in barns since the 2015 outbreak, were surprised by the virus's tenacity.

 

Sifford said it is likely that what they have done hasn't been sufficient to shield them from the high virus load in the wild bird population.

 

USDA data also showed Minnesota, the state that produces the most turkeys in the country, experienced infections in two commercial flocks in late August after going three months without any cases. In September, there were more cases in the state.

 

Ashley Kohls, executive director of the Minnesota Turkey Growers Association, said they did not anticipate to see a spike in August, adding that it takes roughly six months to fully clean up farms and resume turkey production after an infection.

 

Hormel Foods Corp, a Minnesota-based company and owner of the Jennie-O Turkey Store brand, said that it anticipates a reduction in turkey production through at least March 2023.

 

James Snee, CEO of Hormel, said they have worked really hard but clearly this is still an issue.

 

The American Farm Bureau said retail prices for fresh boneless, skinless turkey breast reached a record $6.70 per pound last month, up 14% from the previous record from 2015 and up 112% from a year earlier.

 

According to the USDA, the amount of turkey meat produced this year will decrease by 6% from 2021 to 5.2 billion pounds.

 

Before the outbreak, American farmers were already reducing their output due to falling profits because they face high feed and labour costs. According to USDA data, turkey breast stockpiles in cold storage facilities hit a record low this year.

 

Grocers, online merchants, and other buyers have called in search of whole turkeys and breasts, Indiana turkey farmer Greg Gunthorp said. He also said wholesale prices for antibiotic-free turkey breasts have increased to US$7 to US$9 per pound from about US$3 before the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

Export restrictions on American poultry have been imposed as a result of infections in flocks, further hurting producers. The USA Poultry and Egg Export Council said China, a significant consumer, has banned poultry from entire states with confirmed cases and is taking longer than necessary to lift the bans.

 

Following the state's first infection of the year, China this month suspended poultry imports from Arkansas, the third-largest producer of chickens raised for meat, according to USDA records. Wes Ward, the state's secretary of agriculture, expressed his optimism that the illness wouldn't spread to Arkansas.

 

-      Reuters