Concerns over Egg Price Surge Grow in Japan

Tokyo, Oct. 23 (Jiji Press)–Concerns over a surge in egg prices are increasing in Japan as this season’s first case of highly pathogenic avian influenza at a poultry farm in the country was confirmed Wednesday. Egg prices are coming close to a record high, and a further spike would be possible if infections spread and egg supplies decrease as a result. The first highly pathogenic bird flu case this season was confirmed at a chicken farm in the town of Shiraoi in the northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido. About 459,000 laying hens at the farm will be destroyed to prevent further infections. Wholesale prices remain high after soaring due to a large avian flu outbreak last season, standing at 325 yen per kilogram of midsize eggs in Tokyo as of Wednesday, close to the current record high of 350 yen marked in the spring of 2023, according to JA Zen-Noh Tamago Co. A major bird flu outbreak hit the country in the season from autumn 2022 to spring 2023. The number of laying hens culled at the time reached a record high of about 16.54 million, causing egg supply shortages and a spike in prices in a phenomenon called “egg shock.” The situation during the last season was severe as well. Bird flu infections increased rapidly early this year, and poultry farmers were also hit by surging feed prices. Consequently, wholesale prices of midsize eggs in Tokyo have remained above 300 yen per kilogram since late January. The Japan Poultry Association said late last month that if bird flu possible outbreaks are not taken into account, egg production is expected to start recovering early next year as laying hens currently raised at poultry farms mature to replace those culled during the last flu season. During the 2022-2023 flu season, the first infection case was confirmed Oct. 28, 2022. Wholesale prices then spiked about 100 yen per kilogram in about five months. This season, the first case was confirmed about a week earlier compared with three years ago. If a major outbreak similar to that in the 2022-2023 season occur, egg prices could rise further to hit new record highs, so the government is now stepping up efforts to prevent a spread of infections. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]