UN: Bird flu could disrupt world meat and poultry markets
29/09/2005 - 12:11:08
The spread of bird flu through Asia and Russia could cause a further rise in poultry prices and reduce consumption worldwide, dealing more damage to an industry still recovering from previous outbreaks of other animal diseases, a UN food agency said today.
Countries faced with the threat of outbreaks could ban imports, causing prices to rise, said the Rome-based Food and Agriculture Organisation.
At the same time, consumers fearful of catching the human strain of the disease could increase their consumption of other meats, which would mean further price hikes for the entire sector.
The H5N1 strain of bird flu has swept through poultry populations in Asia since 2003, infecting humans and killing at least 65 people, mostly poultry workers, and resulting in the deaths of tens of millions of birds.
However, the virus does not pass from person to person easily – a situation experts fear could change if the virus mutates.
It was moving westward in Siberian wild bird populations, posing a threat to commercial fowl in Europe.
Poultry prices worldwide have already risen by 20 per cent since 2003, said Nancy Morgan, a meat trade specialist for the agency.
“Over the past few year the cost to the industry have been very high,” Morgan said, referring to the widespread outbreaks of mad cow and foot-and-mouth diseases that disrupted meat markets worldwide.
http://breakingnews.iol.ie/news/story.asp?j=157463416&p=y57464yzz
29/09/2005 - 12:11:08
The spread of bird flu through Asia and Russia could cause a further rise in poultry prices and reduce consumption worldwide, dealing more damage to an industry still recovering from previous outbreaks of other animal diseases, a UN food agency said today.
Countries faced with the threat of outbreaks could ban imports, causing prices to rise, said the Rome-based Food and Agriculture Organisation.
At the same time, consumers fearful of catching the human strain of the disease could increase their consumption of other meats, which would mean further price hikes for the entire sector.
The H5N1 strain of bird flu has swept through poultry populations in Asia since 2003, infecting humans and killing at least 65 people, mostly poultry workers, and resulting in the deaths of tens of millions of birds.
However, the virus does not pass from person to person easily – a situation experts fear could change if the virus mutates.
It was moving westward in Siberian wild bird populations, posing a threat to commercial fowl in Europe.
Poultry prices worldwide have already risen by 20 per cent since 2003, said Nancy Morgan, a meat trade specialist for the agency.
“Over the past few year the cost to the industry have been very high,” Morgan said, referring to the widespread outbreaks of mad cow and foot-and-mouth diseases that disrupted meat markets worldwide.
http://breakingnews.iol.ie/news/story.asp?j=157463416&p=y57464yzz