U.S. bird flu outbreak in poultry
May 4 (Reuters) - Dozens of countries have imposed total or partial bans on U.S. poultry and egg imports since an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) was discovered in December. Each of the top 10 importers has introduced restrictions. Total bans have been imposed by China, South Korea and Angola, whose markets were valued at nearly $700 million last year. Iowa last week became the third U.S. state to declare an emergency response to the H5 avian flu outbreak, as the death toll of chickens and turkeys across the United States rose toward record levels. If the virus is confirmed in the latest Iowa outbreak, the total number of U.S. cases could exceed 20 million birds and result in the biggest poultry death toll in a bird flu outbreak in U.S. history. As of late last week, more than 15.4 million meat-producing and egg-laying birds had been culled, and preliminary tests identified likely cases in more than 5.5 million more birds. In the United States' largest outbreak in 1983 and 1984, 17 million birds were culled. Two bird flu strains have been found in the United States this year. The H5N2 strain has been reported in Arkansas, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Washington and Wisconsin. It has also been identified on farms in British Columbia and Ontario, Canada. The H5N8 strain has been identified in California and also in Idaho, according to the U.S. Agriculture Department, and Canadian authorities confirmed the H5N1 strain was found in British Columbia, Canada. Following are facts about the U.S. poultry market from the USDA, the U.S. Poultry and Egg Association and company filings. CONFIRMED IN COMMERCIAL FLOCKS The most recent numbers of birds affected by the outbreak as of April 30, according to USDA's National Veterinary Services Laboratories. Iowa: 9,866,900 egg-laying hens, meat-producing turkeys (additional pending cases are being tested by USDA). Minnesota: 3,679,310 birds, mostly turkeys, some egg-laying hens (additional pending cases are being tested by USDA). Wisconsin: 1,497,500 turkeys and egg-laying hens South Dakota: 285,900 turkeys California: 247,300 meat chickens and turkeys North Dakota: 111,500 turkeys and mixed poultry Arkansas: 40,020 turkeys Missouri: 29,470 turkeys TOP U.S. POULTRY PRODUCING STATES Broiler chickens in 2014 Georgia: 1.414 billion, 15.5 pct of U.S. total Alabama: 1.140 billion, 12.5 pct Arkansas: 1.029 billion, 11.3 pct North Carolina: 855 million, 9.4 pct Mississippi: 778 million, 8.5 pct U.S. total: 9.134 billion Meat-producing turkeys in 2014 Minnesota: 45 million, 19.1 pct of U.S. total Arkansas: 29 million, 12.3 pct North Carolina: 28 million, 11.9 pct Indiana: 19 million, 8.1 pct Missouri: 16 million, 6.8 pct U.S. total: 235 million Egg production in 2014 Iowa: 16.449 billion, 16.5 pct of U.S. total Ohio: 8.731 billion, 8.8 pct Indiana: 7.747 billion, 7.8 pct Pennsylvania: 7.570 billion, 7.6 pct Texas: 5.109 billion, 5.1 pct U.S. total: 99.768 billion TOP 10 U.S. POULTRY AND EGG MARKETS AND THEIR IMPORT RESTRICTIONS 1. MEXICO ($1.47 billion in U.S. imports in 2014) Mostly imports poultry meat and eggs, as well as fertilized eggs for hatching. Currently banning imports of fresh and frozen poultry and poultry products from birds originating from, slaughtered or processed in 10 affected states, including all eight states where outbreaks have occurred in commercial flocks. Exceptions for raw poultry shipped for thermal processing or heat treatment in Mexico. The country expanded the ban last week to live birds and eggs from Iowa. 2. CANADA ($741 million) Banning imports of raw poultry and products from or near affected counties in seven states and all counties in six other states. Also barring imports of certain processed products. 3. HONG KONG ($573 million) Banning imports of poultry meat and poultry meat products from birds raised, processed, slaughtered or shipped from affected counties in 13 affected states on or after specific dates. Fully cooked or heat treated products exempt. 4. CHINA ($317 million) All U.S. poultry and products banned since January 2015. 5. ANGOLA ($264 million) All U.S. poultry and products banned since January 2015. 6. RUSSIA ($153 million) All U.S. poultry and products banned since August 2014 as part of response to sanctions from the United States and Europe over Russia's annexation of Crimea. 7. CUBA ($148 million) Banning imports of poultry and poultry products from birds raised, processed, slaughtered or stored in 13 states with HPAI on or after specific dates as well as New Jersey where a strain of low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) was discovered. 8. TAIWAN ($148 million) Banning imports of poultry meat and products from 13 states affected with HPAI and one with LPAI shipped on or after specific dates. 9. JAPAN ($123 million) The country has numerous bans on U.S. imports of poultry meat and products from a variety of states, most recently including the 14 states with HPAI. 10. SOUTH KOREA ($113 million) All non-heat-treated U.S. poultry and products from birds slaughtered and processed on or after Nov. 25, 2014, are banned. The restrictions include shipments to U.S. military in South Korea. TOP U.S. TURKEY MEAT COMPANIES 1. Butterball: 1.3 billion pounds processed in 2013 2. Jennie-O Turkey Store : 1.25 billion pounds 3. Cargill : 1.07 billion pounds 4. Farbest Foods: 411 million pounds 5. Hillshire Brands Co : 402 million pounds TOP U.S. EGG COMPANIES 1. Cal-Maine Foods Inc : 33 million egg-laying hens in production in 2013 2. Rose Acre Farms: 22 million 3. Moark LLC: 13 million 4. Daybreak Foods: 13 million 5. Rembrandt Enterprises: 13 million TOP U.S. CHICKEN MEAT COMPANIES 1. Tyson Foods Inc : Capacity to process 40 million chickens per week. Major supplier to Wal-Mart Stores Inc . Supplied products to 130 countries in 2014. 2. Pilgrim's Pride Corp : Capacity to process more than 34.7 million birds per week. A leading supplier in Mexico. 3. Sanderson Farms Inc : processed more than 3 billion pounds of poultry products in 2014. 4. Perdue Farms: can process more than 3 billion pounds of chicken and turkey annually. TOP POULTRY BROILER MEAT EXPORTERS 1. Brazil: 3.558 million tonnes exported in 2014 2. United States: 3.313 million tonnes 3. European Union: 1.134 million tonnes 4. Thailand: 546,000 tonnes 5. Turkey: 379,000 tonnes (Reporting by Karl Plume in Chicago; Editing by Toni Reinhold and Matthew Lewis)
