Japan suspects the first bird flu epidemic of the season; Egg prices may rise again.
Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, November 11: The government department of Kyoto Prefecture in Japan reported on the 11th that there is a suspected pathogenic avian influenza epidemic in a local chicken farm, and a simple test result was positive. If the genetic test results are confirmed as positive, this will be the first outbreak of the current bird flu season in Japan. There is concern that the bird flu epidemic could further increase egg prices in Japan.
According to Japanese media reports, a chicken farm in Kamaoka City, Kyoto Prefecture reported an increase in the number of dead and sick chickens on the morning of the 11th. The Ministry of Health conducted a simple test for the bird flu virus in 10 chickens, including the dead chickens, and the results were positive. The results of the genetic tests are expected to be available on the 12th. If the avian flu epidemic is confirmed, all approximately 200,000 chickens raised at the chicken farm will be removed.
This chicken farm has been temporarily closed, and chicken farms within 10 kilometers of it are obliged not to transport poultry and eggs to the outside world.
Influenced by factors such as rising feed prices caused by the yen's depreciation, Japanese egg prices have continued to rise recently. The results of a nationwide survey conducted by Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries between October 19 and 21 showed that the average price of 10 eggs per box was 312 yen (about 13.1 yuan), a new record since the survey began in 2003. If an outbreak of egg flu continues to increase bird egg prices, and it is possible that egg prices will continue to rise.
From October 2022 to April 2023, Japan raised more than 17 million birds due to the bird flu epidemic, setting a record for the country's highest number of birds controlled in a single bird flu season. Affected by this, Japan's egg supply was in short supply, prices soared, and there was an "egg shortage".