Three countries will work together on detection and response
By Diego Flammini
Assistant Editor, North American Content
Farms.com
The United States, Canada and Mexico, along with the poultry and egg representatives in each country, have signed a letter of understanding on avian influenza.
The letter highlights the understanding that migratory birds spreading the virus is one of the toughest challenges facing the poultry and egg industry. The countries will work together in dealing with avian flu to keep their own poultry production safe and minimize trade impacts.
"Mexico and Canada represent the lion's share of our poultry and egg trade," said Jim Sumner, president of the USA Poultry & Egg Export Council (USAPEEC). "Together, these two markets account for more than two-thirds of all U.S. turkey exports, nearly two-thirds of our egg trade and a third of our broiler exports — an annual value of almost $2 billion. That’s about one-third of the value of all U.S. poultry and egg exports in any given year."
Along with Sumner’s signature, Canadian Poultry & Egg Processors Council president and CEO Robin Horel and Egg Farmers of Canada COO Neil Newlands signed the letter.
All three countries have been impacted by avian flu in recent years.
- Approximately 512,000 birds were destroyed in Mexico after avian flu was discovered on a farm in the municipality of El Rosario in Jul. 2015.
- A 2014 outbreak of avian flu in British Columbia resulted in more than 140,000 chickens and turkeys being euthanized and seven countries banning any poultry from B.C.
- The United States battled the worst avian flu outbreak in the country’s history in 2015. 40 million birds were destroyed and the economic impact of the outbreak is close to $400 million