Livestock

Bird flu has decimated US egg supply, lifting prices 21 February 2025 2 minute read Higher egg prices, an issue US President Donald Trump spoke about often during his election campaign last fall, boosted Walmart grocery revenue, Reuters reported, citing an earnings briefing from the world's largest retailer on Thursday. Walmart said its grocery revenue rose by mid-single digits in the quarter through January 31, and a Walmart earnings presentation showed that egg-price inflation was baked into that increase. Egg prices have been rising as bird flu, or avian influenza, has hammered egg production in chickens. "There will always be some anomalies like what we're seeing right now with eggs as a result of avian flu last fall," Walmart's finance chief John David Rainey said on a call with Wall Street analysts. "Those things tend to work themselves out over time, so we don't have a large inflation number planned into…
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The disruption in communication is unusual 21 February 2025 2 minute read Staff at the US farm, environment and interior agencies have been instructed by the Trump administration not to speak with the US Congress, Reuters reported, citing a letter from Representative Chellie Pingree that was sent to the agency administrators on Thursday. Pingree, a Democrat, said the disruption in communication strayed from longstanding relationships with agency staff that provide information critical to Congressional decision-making. "These staff have always conducted themselves in a professional way with integrity. Unfortunately, nearly all communication has stopped since President (Donald) Trump took office. My understanding is that these staff have been directed not to communicate with Congress," Pingree wrote in letters sent to Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin. Interior Department spokesperson J. Elizabeth Peace said the agency does not comment on congressional communications. An EPA spokesperson…
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The lab will sub-type all positive influenza A samples from hospitalised patients 21 February 2025 2 minute read In response to updated CDC recommendations, HNL Lab Medicine will begin sub-typing all positive influenza A samples from hospitalised patients to detect H5N1 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, according to a recent press release from the company.  This enhanced surveillance aims to monitor potential bird flu cases and safeguard public health in the Lehigh Valley and surrounding areas. H5N1 is an avian influenza strain that primarily spreads among birds but has recently infected humans and other mammals. Outbreaks in poultry and dairy farms across the U.S. have raised concerns about transmission to humans, particularly those in close contact with infected animals. While human cases remain rare, recent detections of H5N1 in geese and poultry in the Lehigh Valley highlight the need for increased monitoring. "While human cases remain rare, the presence of H5N1…
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The funds will be used to honour contracts made with farmers 21 February 2025 2 minute read The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) will release approximately $20 million in funding for previously approved contracts that had been frozen by the Trump administration's push to overhaul the federal government, Reuters reported, citing the agency late on Thursday. The sum represents a tiny sliver of program funding the USDA suspended after the White House's broad freeze of federal loans and grants last month. Although the administration rescinded the memo ordering the freeze and it has been blocked in court, a US judge has said the government was still withholding funds. USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins said the released funds will go to honor contracts that were already made directly with farmers, according to a statement on the USDA's website. The USDA is releasing $20 million in contracts for the Environmental Quality Incentive Program,…
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US egg stock low due to avian influenza 20 February 2025 2 minute read Turkey has begun exporting around 15,000 tonnes of eggs to the United States, where an ongoing outbreak of bird flu disrupted supply, sent prices soaring and led to talks with other producers, Reuters reported, citing a leading sector official on Wednesday. Ibrahim Afyon, chairman of the Egg Producers Central Union in Turkey, told Reuters that shipments began this month and will continue until July. "The export will take place through our member companies with the required authorisations, while two firms will coordinate the process," Afyon said. "A total of 15,000 tonnes of eggs — equivalent to 700 containers — will be shipped." The US has been working to contain the spread of avian influenza, which was first detected in dairy cattle in Texas last March and has since spread to multiple states. The virus has infected nearly…
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The layoffs began last Friday 20 February 2025 1 minute read The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) said on Tuesday that it accidentally fired several agency employees working on the federal government's response to the H5N1 avian flu outbreak, over the weekend, Reuters reported, citing an NBC news report as its source.  "Although several positions supporting [avian flu] were notified of their terminations over the weekend, we are working to swiftly rectify the situation and rescind those letters," a USDA spokesperson told NBC. The USDA did not immediately respond to Reuters request for comment. On Sunday, Reuters reported that the Trump administration terminated 1,165 workers at the National Institutes of Health and media reported some cuts at the Food and Drug Administration as well. The layoffs began on Friday with almost half of the probationary workers at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and others at the National Institutes…
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Africa trade deal AGOA key for some South African exports 20 February 2025 3 minute read Donald Trump's axing of aid to South Africa, in response to land reform policies he says will harm its white minority, has raised fears a trade deal may be next, though any such move would hurt the same farmers the US president says he wants to help, reported Reuters.  Under the Africa Growth and Opportunities Act, South Africa gets tariff-free quotas on agricultural exports including wine, citrus, soybeans, sugar cane and beef. The Act makes up about a quarter of its $15 billion annual trade with the United States. That compares with under $440 million in U.S. aid, in 2023. "It is not clear whether the exporters are Black or white; we don't record such data," said Wandile Sihlobo, chief economist of the Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa, but only a tenth of…
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The egg sector has 8% fewer layers than it did three years ago 20 February 2025 5 minute read Despite opportunity for strong margins in the US poultry and egg industry, producers are uneasy as they face what may be the sector’s most challenging period ever. Highly pathogenic avian influenza is now a persistent threat to production, according to a recent report from CoBank.  Through January 2025, the US egg industry now has 8% fewer egg-laying hens than it did three years ago as affected flocks are depopulated. In that time, more than 100 million table-egg-laying hens have been affected. Consumer egg demand has surged in recent years, but production is not keeping up. From 2016-2019, per capita egg consumption grew 20% by more than 40 eggs per year to 300. Further complicating market conditions, consumer demand has shifted to specialty eggs, including “cage-free.” As demand has outstripped supplies, egg…
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20 February 2025 1 minute read In the second week of February, both domestic and international demand for chicken meat remained strong, leading to price increases in several regions monitored by Cepea, according to a recent market report.  In the Brazilian market, in addition to the typically higher demand during this period, supply was limited, further supporting price hikes. Regarding exports, data from Secex shows that the daily average shipment of chicken meat reached 28.7 thousand tons during the first five production days of February.  This figure represents a 51.9% increase compared to January 2025 and a 48% rise from February 2024.  Notably, this is the highest daily export volume recorded in Secex’s data series, which began in 1997.
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