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Cases of highly pathogenic bird flu will kill more than 17 million birds at this time, according to the USDA. The virus outbreak, or worst in seven years, is taking its toll on poultry farms across the Midwest, affecting companies like Tyson Foods Inc. and Hormel Foods Corp. More than 11 million chickens, about 3% of the flock died or were destroyed by the disease, along with more than two million turkeys from commercial farms.
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The Associated Press reports that “another 15,000 chickens and 37,000 turkeys will be killed due to bird flu and will be sent to two other farms in Iowa. Thousands of birds have been killed since the outbreak began last month, many in Iowa, the top egg producer worldwide, according to state agriculture officials. Recent cases have been reported in a commercial turkey flock in Sack County and a commercial frangi flock in Humboldt County. As the virus is contagious and fatal to birds, almost everything or livestock on farms is being destroyed.”
Writing in the New York Times, author Neil Wigdor noted that “a similar increase in the price of chicken eggs occurred in 2014-15 and is also associated with bird flu outbreaks in the United States. Lately, the average price of large, premium white eggs has skyrocketed, as has the cost of chicken meat. Experts have also warned that turkey prices could also become more volatile.”
By: Leonardo Gottems | agrolink
