Resurgence of avian influenza on farms in the US, Japan and other nations makes eggs more expensive (illustrative/image bank)
Fears over bird flu are causing egg prices rise again.
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After having ceased for much of the year 2023, a recent resurgence of avian influenza on farms in USA, Japan and other nations caused egg prices to rise again.
The virus, commonly known as bird flu, is extremely contagious and lethal among birdshas been detected in dairy cattle in recent days.
“The reason for the huge increase in egg prices is HPAI (highly pathogenic avian influenza) affecting farms and killing chickens and cutting egg production,” said David Anderson, professor and food economist in the Department of Agriculture at Texas A&M University.
In the USA, more than 14 million of laying hens died in November and December as a result of avian influenza. In the last 30 days, more than 8 million birds among America’s commercial group remain infected, according to data from the Department of Agriculture.
In Japan, Cases of bird flu have been reported on farms in several provinces, infecting hundreds of thousands of chickens.
The country is the second largest consumer of eggs per capita in the world, and the food item is an important ingredient in cooking. The price of eggs in Japan rose more than 20%, from ¥179 per kg at the beginning of the year to around ¥218 since April 17th.
From Mexico to Norway and Indonesia, egg prices also have increased due to a variety of reasons.
O scorching heat in Mexico caused many chickens to die from heatstroke, local media reported.
Bird flu It’s not the only thing which affects the supply of eggs. Other driving forces include increased demand for eggs as a result of more expensive meat prices.
“We had record high in beef, pork and chicken pricesso eggs could be a substitute, which means prices would increase,” said Anderson of Texas A&M University.
Fonte: CNBC
