Worst bird flu outbreaks reported in years in the US and France
Egg prices have jumped significantly before Easter in major markets such as North America and Europe. Is not just the war in Ukraine that shake these markets but also the worst bird flu outbreaks reported in the US and France. Bird flu has wiped out more than 19 million egg-laying chickens on commercial US farms this year in the worst outbreak since 2015, eliminating about 6% of the country's flock. France, meanwhile, is suffering its worst outbreak ever in which about 8% of egg-laying hens have been culled, Reuters reported.
The shock is now transmitted to importing countries such as Mexico, China, South Korea, or the Middle East countries that are banning poultry products from the US and several EU member states in order to protect their bird flock.
Wholesale prices for large eggs in the US Midwest topped $3 per dozen in March and reached the second-highest level ever, up nearly 200% from a year earlier on the spot market, data firm Urner Barry said. In France, wholesale shell egg prices have climbed 69% from last year, French farm office FranceAgriMer said. As a result, consumers could see higher prices for food products made with eggs.
In the Middle East, importers have turned to other suppliers to cover the deficit created by the Avian Influenza and the war in Ukraine. As a result, the United Arab Emirates has started to import eggs from Turkey. Ukraine produced 14.1 billion eggs in 2021, data from Ukraine's state statistics service shows. A year earlier, production reached 16.2 billion eggs, more than the 15.7 billion produced in France, the EU's largest egg producer, according to French egg industry group CNPO. The East European country was one of the biggest suppliers of egg and chicken meat in the Middle East.
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