Northwest Iowa — More than a year after the avian influenza outbreak here in northwest Iowa, and statewide, poultry producers have rebuilt their flocks, but they’re still feeling the lingering economic impact.
Iowa Ag Secretary Bill Northey says there were no cases of bird flu in the state this spring, and with the warmer weather now, it should not reappear.
Despite that, Northey says there are some longer-term market impacts from the bird flu outbreak.
As a result, he says poultry operations in Iowa and elsewhere are dealing with egg prices that are down significantly.
Northey says the break-even level for many Iowa egg producers is about 50-cents a dozen, but they’re getting about half that. Iowa had 75 confirmed bird flu sites last year and some 32-million birds had to be destroyed. It’s estimated the avian flu outbreak cost the state $1.2 billion.
