USAPEEC: Latest Update On the South Korea HPAI Egg Situation

Since the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) broke out, the consumer price of the egg has been soaring. However, at some point, the egg price is expected to fall from mid-year 2021. According to the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation (aT), on June 11th, the domestic price of an egg tray, which is formed of 30 shell eggs, rose 46 percent to 7,557 KRW (6.69 USD), from 5,179 KRW (4.59 USD) the average year.

The HPAI has died down, but the price has not yet come down with it. With the prolongation of COVID-19, consumers tend to stay indoors and avoid eating out. The change in consumer behavior caused an increase in the demand for the egg. According to the Korea Rural Economic Institute (KREI), the average purchase of eggs per household in the first quarter of 2021 was...

APHIS Reflects on 2015 HPAI Outbreak and Addresses the Importance of Biosecurity

In a recent webinar hosted by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), Dr. Dale Lauer, Dr. Rocio Crespo, and Dr. Denise Heard reflected on the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) outbreak of 2015, and steps that can be taken to protect poultry flocks going forward.

HPAI can be spread from bird to bird through direct or indirect contact with infected birds including feathers, bodily discharge, or from the equipment, hands, shoes, and clothes of caretakers. Signs of the disease include depression, decreased feed and water intake, runny eyes and nose, and swollen head. The disease can affect an entire flock and has a death rate up to...

Amidst COVID-19 Pandemic, Meat Contraband from China Hit Record Levels

In calendar year 2020, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of shipments containing prohibited pork, chicken, beef and duck products arriving from China intercepted by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agriculture specialists in Los Angeles, nearly doubled compared with the previous year.

From Jan. 1, to Dec. 31, 2020, CBP in Los Angeles issued 1,049 Emergency Action Notifications (EAN) compared to 527 in 2019, a 99 percent increase. When unmanifiested/prohibited animal products are intercepted, CBP issues...

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Strikes South Korea’s Layer Houses

As Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) strikes South Korea’s layer houses killing more than 8 million hens, the country’s local shell egg prices have started to soar with a 22.4 percent increase compared with an average year as of Wednesday. Demand is especially high for eggs with the approaching Lunar New Year holiday February 11 - 14. As a result, the Korean government has decided to temporarily eliminate tariffs on egg imports for the first time since 2017.

According to The Korea Herald, South Korea's agricultural ministry said Wednesday it plans to “temporarily remove tariffs on imported egg products to resolve a supply shortage.” The government will...

ANALYSIS: Whole Body Turkeys: Searching for a Seasonal Perch

With another year under the turkey industry’s belt, buyers and sellers of bagged birds are once again rolling up their sleeves as they...

ANALYSIS: The Impact of External Variables on the Turkey Hatch

In retrospect, the turkey market landscape has shifted dramatically in only a couple short years...

ANALYSIS: What’s Going On with Tom Breast Meat?

It’s safe to say that Thanksgiving and the whole bird centric activity which typically...