Over 17 million chickens have been lost in Japan amid its worst bird flu outbreak ever. Now, they have run out of places to bury them.
Japanese state broadcaster NHK reported Tuesday that 16 out of 26 prefectures in the country did not have enough land to dispose of culled birds properly. All 26 had reported experiencing avian flu outbreaks recently, CTV News Canada reports.
Local authorities and farmers usually kill and bury the fowl to prevent the further spread of the virus, but the land shortage has now held back those efforts, according to NHK.
This bird flu season has produced a record-high number of chickens culled, with 17.4 million birds culled since October 2022. The previous record was set in 2020 when 9.9 million were culled, according to CNN News.
Needless to say, globally, the avian flu has put not only put a big strain on poultry supplies but has sent the price of eggs soaring. In a report this month, Rabobank said global egg prices had “reached historic high levels” in the first quarter of 2023, citing the impact of avian flu across countries and higher feed costs for hens.
Prices of medium-sized eggs in Tokyo are 350 Japanese yen, or $2.67, per kilogram on Thursday — going up 70% from a year ago, according to JA. Z-Tamago, a unit of Japan’s National Federation of Agricultural Cooperative Associations.
About 20 percent of 100 listed companies in Japan. including McDonald’s Japan and 7-Eleven, have suspended egg-related items as of March according to Teikoku Databank, a research firm.
In the US, egg prices soared nearly 60 percent in 2022 due to bird flu hitting supply and higher input costs, IBusiness insider’s George Glover reported in January.
CNN News also notes that the situation has spurred some people around the world to buy their own hens to secure their own supplies of the pantry staple. This practice could end up causing its own set of problems if not well thought out.
Avian flu is caused by infections that occur naturally among wild aquatic birds, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Infected birds can transmit the virus to other animals through their saliva and other bodily discharges.
