Argentina’s Poultry Industry

Argentina's 2004 exports of poultry and poultry products increased 47 percent in volume and 58 percent in value when compared to 2003. January - June 2005 chicken meat exports rose 61 percent in volume and 68 percent in value, when compared to the same period in 2004.

In 2004, the presidents of China and Argentina signed agreements dealing with investment and agriculture, among other things. China indicated it would invest $20 billion in Argentina over the next 10 years. China also signed meat quarantine protocols with Argentina. China’s Animal Quarantine Inspection Service (AQSIQ) recently completed a round of plant inspections and approved 11 poultry plants to begin shipments to China. These plants can now export poultry meat for direct retail sales.

In 2004, after China banned poultry from Thailand, the U.S. and Canada due to outbreaks of AI, Argentine chicken exports (whole, parts, byproducts) to China grew by 71 percent to 18,734 MT. Argentina’s share of broiler exports to China went from 1 percent for the first 11 months of 2003, to 25.8 percent for the same period in 2004.

This year inflation could surge above 10 percent for the first time in two years. This March the government signed pacts with supermarkets and producers to control prices for 90 days. Poultry companies agreed to cap the price of eviscerated chicken at 2.70 pesos per kilogram at wholesale, which would result in a maximum consumer price of 3.80 pesos/kg. In July the poultry industry agreed to another 90 day wholesale price cap at 2.70 peso/kg and the government requested supermarket owners maintain price levels and resist raising prices.
Source: Argentina Secretario de Agricultura, Granaderia, Pesca y Alimentos; USDA/FAS; www.sagpya.gov ar, news wires

Avian Influenza in Russia

Russia's Ministry of Agriculture and Food reported outbreaks of avian influenza in private farms in the districts of Kupino, Dovolnoye and Chistoozernoye in the west Siberian province of Novosibirsk had been confirmed on July 23, 2005. The first signs of a poultry disease were when large numbers of geese, chickens, ducks and turkeys began dying. Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, H5N1, is suspected.

Russia tightened the sanitary and epidemiological control of poultry farms in the region and the regional governor imposed a quarantine in four western districts on July 29. On August 1, Valeriy Mikheyev, the region's chief public health official, said all poultry in the 13 populated areas in the west of the region will be slaughtered beginning August 2. A ban was imposed on the transportation of birds, bird products and feed for domestic birds out of the affected districts. Up to 50 percent of poultry supplies are exported from Eastern Siberia.The additional sanitary controls are expected to increase prices more than 10 percent.

Russia has monitored flu virus in migrating birds for the last four years. Isolated of avian influenza virus subtypes H1, H3, H4, H5 and H8 have been obtained from previous samples. This is the first outbreak of H5N1 in poultry.
Source: Office International des Epizooties (OIE) and news wires.

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Source: USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service - 2nd August 2005