Some farms have even upgraded barn ventilation and installed laser systems to discourage wild birds from congregating. ![]() Despite the best efforts of farmers, it is hard to keep the virus out.įarmers have gone to great lengths by requiring workers to shower and change clothes before entering barns, sanitizing trucks that enter a farm and investing in separate sets of tools for every barn. The key problem with bird flu is that the highly contagious virus is spread easily by wild birds through their droppings and nasal discharges. University of Georgia virus researcher David Stallknecht said there is some hope that this spring might not be quite as bad because turkeys and chickens may have developed some immunity to the virus. The number of birds slaughtered peaked last spring at almost 21 million in March, leaving farmers leery of what they must face in the months ahead. The Bureau of Labor Statistics doesn’t track retail turkey prices the same way as part of its inflation data, but the Agriculture Department says the wholesale price of turkey went from $1.29 per pound last January just before the bird flu outbreak began to $1.72 per pound last month. That’s down slightly from last fall when the price peaked at $4.75, but it is up significantly from the year before when chicken breasts were selling for $3.73 per pound. The price for a pound of chicken breast was $4.32 in January. That spike prompted calls for a price-gouging investigation although the industry maintains that the combination of bird flu and significantly higher feed, fuel and labor costs is what’s driving prices so high. This bills continue to pile up this year as cases spread, and that includes the cost to consumers.Įgg prices shot up to $4.82 a dozen in January from $1.93 a year earlier, according to the latest government figures. It cost the industry roughly $3 billion as farmers incurred additional costs and lost money when they didn’t have any birds on their farms. The federal government spent nearly $1 billion to deal with infected birds, clean up barns and compensate farmers. ![]() That previous outbreak remains the most expensive animal health disaster in U.S.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |