[1]
Date: 13 Sep 2012
Source: The Poultry Site [edited]
http://www.thepoultrysite.com/poultrynews/26794/mexican-bird-flu-outbreak=
-cost-industry-8615-million-pesos
Mexican Bird Flu Outbreak Cost Industry 8615 Million Pesos
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Mexico - Latest analysis from the Mexican Poultry Association (UNA) says that damage to the poultry industry from the recent bird flu outbreak has cost over 8615 million pesos - around US$860 million. Over 22.3 million birds have been officially slaughtered and 7,688 jobs lost.
President of UNA, Crivelli Jaime Espinoza said that the cost to the industry came from decreased egg production, a fall in income and subsequently a loss in jobs. The study was conducted on behalf of UNA by the Associate Economics Group and is entitled: Ecomonic and Production Impacts of Avian Influenza in Los Altos in Jalisco. The outbreak not only affected the poultry industry, but also the whole country, as egg prices rocketed.
Mr Espinoza said the industry must now work together with the authorities, as was done during the outbreak, to compensate as soon as possible those who have suffered. The Mexican poultry industry is working hard to keep egg production up to guarantee supply, and beginning to repopulate flocks. Mr Espinoza has said that the government's support is crucial in helping the Mexican poultry industry recover to previous production levels.
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Communicated by:
Mike Nunn
[2]
Date: 12 Sep 2012
Source: Hispanically Speaking News [edited]
http://www.hispanicallyspeakingnews.com/notitas-de-noticias/details/mexic=
o-continues-to-kill-birds-hoping-to-curtail-spread-of-flu/18465/
Mexico Continues to Kill Birds Hoping to Curtail Spread of Flu
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Mexico's poultry farmers slaughtered 22.3 million birds between June and August to contain an outbreak of avian flu, and they immunized 140 million other birds [poultry], the National Food Health, Safety and Quality Service, or Senasica, said.
The final tally of birds destroyed to prevent the spread of the AH7N3 avian influenza virus has been completed, the Senasica said. The avian flu outbreak started in June [2012] at poultry farms in the Los Altos region of the western state of Jalisco. No new avian flu cases have been reported in the past 3 weeks and affected farms are being restocked with "flocks of between 4.5-5 million birds each month," Senasica director Enrique Sanchez said.
The restocking of farms is expected to boost egg production to an average of 2700 tons daily, with output rising gradually as new hens are added, Sanchez said. Bird populations should be back to the pre-emergency level by November [2012], the Senasica director said.
A total of 22.3 million birds were destroyed between 19 June and 31 Aug 2012 of which 10.9 million were certified for slaughter by Senasica, while the rest were killed before health officials were notified of the flu outbreak, Sanchez said. "Some others were eliminated in a preventive manner by poultry farmers near where the outbreak started to prevent infections on their farms', the Senasica director said. The largest losses of birds occurred at farms in the city of Tepatitlan, with 13.6 million, and in San Juan de los Lagos, where 8.3 million birds were lost," Sanchez said.
The measures taken to control the spread of AH7N3 helped prevent larger losses and irreparable damage to Mexico's poultry industry, the Senasica director said. Health officials are now working to restock the poultry farms affected by the outbreak, as well as to restore supplies of poultry products on the market. A total of 12 343 health certificates have been issued so far to help speed the flow of poultry products to consumers.
The government also authorized the importation of 2000 tons of eggs from the USA and is working to import eggs from Costa Rica, Chile and Colombia. The avian influenza epidemic produced total losses of some $350 million, officials said recently.
The AH7N3 avian influenza virus does not pose a danger to people consuming [poultry] meat or eggs. Mexico, according to National Poultry Producers Association figures, produces nearly 2.5 million tons of eggs and 1.2 million tons of meat annually.
Note: More details on this outbreak and the response to it are available in the August issue of EMPRES Watch (see: http://www.fao.org/docrep/016/an395e/an395e.pdf).
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