Bird flu, a disease that threatens the price of chicken

Since last week Domestic bird strengthened their health protocols To prevent expansion bird flu (H5N1 influenza) on farms poses a threat to mass consumption birds such as chickenwhich may affect its price in the market.

If the disease reaches farms, it can lead to large losses of birds, because flu It is incurable and destructive. “Disease does not strike people, it strikes us, because if it reaches commercial farmit’s disappearing,” warned Alex Geri of the Southern Poultry Association (Avisur).

Why might this drive up the price of chicken?

Considering the shortage of birds, the market price will rise due to High demandwhich grows during the Christmas season, explained Claudia Sicoli, Academic Director of the Economics Program at UPC.

The disease has killed more than 13,000 wild and seabirds, according to the National Forestry and Wildlife Service (Serfor).

“What we need is Senas work on bird control as quickly as possible to eliminate possible transmission, especially to birds for human consumption, and that this may reduce the likelihood of price hikes or shifting consumption to other products that are not birds,” he said.

During the first 30 days, poultry companies expect an investment of 120,000 soles for fumigation and other control measures. East overwhelm it could also be translated into a final price at supply centers.

State support for the fight against avian influenza

For Claudia Sicoli, government support through Senasa is needed not only to fight the disease, but also to reduce the costs of poultry farmers, so the impact on the final price is not so big.

“We filled the floor with formaldehyde to avoid contamination. Here, sales have been low for a long time, and with bird flu we are in uncertainty, we hope it will not affect, although everything does”

However, Avisur’s Alex Geri excludes much help from government agencies other than personnel sent in from the army and the National Agricultural Health Service (Senasa).

“Since there is no state budget, all poultry farmers pay for fuel, travel expenses, we bought fumigation equipment, we have an excavator so that we can bury, collect those dead birds so that they do not come into contact with people. ,” he said.

Markets closely watching bird flu

In markets like Caqueta, in the San Martin de Porres area of ​​Lima, chicken price persists and consumption remains the same; however, according to traders, there is uncertainty.

“we poured formaldehyde on the floor to avoid contamination. Here, sales have been low for a long time, but we are uncertain about the bird flu, we hope that this will not affect, although everything does,” he said.

In Chiclayo, chicken sellers at the La Paradita market have cut their sales by 80% as consumers fear the spread of bird flu.

From Lambayeque, where the first poultry cases were detected, 120 samples collected from 170 controlled farms were sent to rule out confirmed influenza. RPP news Senasa regional director Felix Bobadilla,

Health emergency

To date, the disease has killed more than 13,000 wild and seabirds, according to the National Forest and Wildlife Service.Serfor), and now a case of avian influenza has also been detected on a farm in Huaura Province in the Lima Province region, with coastal areas most affected.

“We prevent it from getting into backyards, commercial farms, fighting cocks. We put in a backhoe to collect the dead birds, but the captaincy doesn’t want me to bury them, but if we remove them, they will continue to infect other areas,” Jeri said.

The government banned the mobilization of live poultry from discovered sources, the transfer of birds without health certificates, the holding of fairs or gallistic events, among other things.

People are advised not to handle any birds that are suspected of being ill, and families are encouraged to recognize symptoms in their farm animals.