The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has spent more than $670 million to contain highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) and indemnify homeowners for their losses, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service told Ag Insider.Spending included an additional $414 million in compensation for "depopulated" birds and eggs, $142 million to slaughter flocks, discard dead birds and activities to kill the virus, and $114 million in personnel, state agreements and field costs.

The current outbreak is the worst ever in terms of the number of HPAI-infected or slaughtered birds to prevent its spread. Avian flu spreads rapidly and has a high mortality rate, so it is a standard procedure for animal health authorities to kill all birds when tests confirm that a flock is infected.

Egg prices fell sharply after the New Year holiday - more than $2 a dozen wholesale at an East Coast market - but are rising in the New York and Midwest markets. Demand for eggs traditionally increases before Easter, as do prices.

"Consumer demand for shelleggs improved slightly in March, but buyers are finding few price reductions in the case of dairy products, which is moderating the movement of shelleggs," said the USDA's weekly overview of the USDA's egg markets. "Marketers are keeping an eye on Easter demand with caution this year due to concerns about the impact of current price levels on holiday demand patterns."

Source: Agrolink