Bird Flu Pushes Czech Poultry Industry into Losses

CZECH REPUBLIC - The Hospodarske noviny daily in Prague reports that measures taken in 2006 to prevent avian influenza in the Czech Republic resulted in losses worth CZK1 billion (USD48.5 million) for poultry producers, according to the CTK news agency's Business News.

The State Veterinary Administration (SVS) announced at the end of April that it was lifting remaining preventative measures as of May 1. As a result, poultry producers expect chicken prices to increase in the weeks to come.

Czech poultry producers suffered losses not only because of veterinary measures, but particularly as a result of large-scale and cheap poultry imports from southern Europe into the Czech Republic. These imports resulted from producers in southern Europe diverting their sales to export markets because local consumers refused to eat poultry because of fears over avian influenza.

An official from the Xaverov poultry producer said that while the price of poultry in the Czech Republic had fallen by 15 per cent, imports had risen by 20 per cent.

The official website of the Czech Republic says that "All poultry in the Czech Republic is thoroughly tested in light of the threat of bird flu. As for the preparation of poultry, the transfer of the virus is highly unlikely."

ThePoultrySite News Desk

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