Feather Shortage Leaves Pillow Makers Flat

HUNGARY - A good night's sleep on luxury Hungarian down pillows is likely to become a rarer experience as Hungary's poultry sector declines in the face of mounting problems.
calendar icon 29 November 2007
clock icon 2 minute read

According to British retailers, pillows and duvets made from Hungarian goose feathers are "soft," "luxurious" and have an "unparalleled ability to spring back to shape."

The feathers are hand-plucked from geese which are given a special diet, raised for longer than most competitors, bathed in summer and kept sufficiently cold in winter to develop big feathers, a Hungarian producer says.

But in recent years Hungary's poultry sector has been hit by repeated bird flu outbreaks, leading to the culling of 1 million birds, mostly water fowl, and a doubling of feed prices.

"Producers are getting into an impossible situation," said Peter Kovacs, managing director of Hungaria Tollfeldolgozo Kft, which exports most of its products to Europe and the United States.

Source: Reuters

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