AI Culling Hits 10-Year Low... Egg Prices Stabilize

Increase in Cases Compared to Last Year
Minimizing Damage by Strengthening Biosecurity in Large-Scale Laying Hen Farms

During the recent special high-pathogenic avian influenza (AI) prevention period, the scale of poultry culling recorded the lowest level in the past 10 years. Although the number of outbreaks increased compared to the previous year amid the global spread, the government was able to minimize the culling scale by strengthening quarantine measures mainly at large-scale layer farms and flexibly managing the scope of preventive culling through periodic risk assessments.

On the 6th, an official from the AI Prevention Headquarters stated, "During this prevention period, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs led a comprehensive inter-ministerial response system, implementing proactive quarantine measures to block horizontal transmission to other regions and farms, thereby preventing further spread." He added, "Starting this month, instead of lowering the crisis level from 'severe' to 'caution,' we plan to continue quarantine management in areas with unresolved vulnerabilities and quarantine zones."

The government operated the special AI prevention period from October last year until the end of last month. Since AI was first detected on October 17 last year at a breeding duck farm in Yecheon-gun, Gyeongbuk Province, a total of 71 outbreaks occurred at poultry farms during the prevention period, an increase from 47 cases the previous year. In wild birds, AI was detected as early as October 10 last year, the earliest ever, with the second-highest number of antigens detected historically (174 cases).

Accordingly, the Prevention Headquarters conducted risk assessments every two weeks and flexibly adjusted the scope of preventive culling. As a result, despite the global increase in culling, the number of culled poultry was 6.32 million, the lowest in the past 10 years. Previously, 29.93 million birds were culled in 2020?2021 and 7.3 million in 2021?2022.

The scale of layer culling also significantly decreased during the same period, from 16.71 million to 4.41 million and then to 2.86 million, allowing stable maintenance of average egg production levels. Consequently, egg prices remained stable. As of last month, egg prices in South Korea were 6% lower than the previous year, whereas prices rose by 84% in the United States, 71% in Spain, and 64% in Japan.

The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters reduced the scope of preventive culling, which had been expanded due to increased risk, to "all poultry species within 500 meters" starting this month. However, due to the potential influence of residual viruses, additional outbreaks may occur until April. Therefore, the enhanced testing system by species (monthly testing for layers and twice during the rearing period for meat ducks) will be maintained until the 'caution' stage is lifted. In areas where quarantine zones have not been lifted, intensified inspections will continue until the zones are officially released.

Ahn Yong-deok, Director of the Quarantine Policy Bureau at the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, said, "Despite the challenging conditions caused by the global spread of high-pathogenic avian influenza, the government, local governments, and farmers worked together to minimize AI outbreaks and poultry culling." He urged, "Farming operations must strictly adhere to quarantine guidelines to prevent further AI outbreaks."

(Photo for reference)

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.