Poultry Producers Could Face a Lengthy Recovery from HPAI

An egg market analyst says highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) is already causing disruptions to both the global and domestic supply chains. Brian Moscogiuri with Eggs Unlimited says the U.S. typically exports about 3 percent of its total egg production.  “With what is happening in terms of bird losses, the U.S. markets have started to rise,” he says.  “That potentially begins to price us out of some of those other markets and then potentially even opens up the doors for imports down the road if we do get into a situation where we see shortages.”  

But, according to Moscogiuri, Europe is also dealing with the virus, plus their markets have been disrupted by the Russia/Ukraine war.  “Not only can they not export, but they are also actually looking for product potentially to bring in. Users may have to find alternatives to eggs or alternative suppliers. It’s going to be challenging for both buyers and sellers of eggs, and definitely the producers, potentially over the next three to six months,” he says. 

This round of HPAI has hit differently than it did in 2015, it is presenting earlier, and has been found in all the major flyways in the U.S. So far, around 10 million layers have been depopulated and the length of the recovery will depend on how many total birds are impacted. 

Editor’s Take:

If you have been reading the AIR, you know that we have been reporting on HPAI quite often in recent weeks. We have been concerned right from the start that this disease could spread quickly and have serious longer-term consequences on the poultry industry. Now we are getting confirmation from experts that our worst fears are becoming a reality. Cases among wild birds have been identified in the Pacific flyway, thus completely covering the U.S. We continue to hope for the best possible outcome for poultry producers, but it may already be, as they say, too hot to handle.