US chicken exports at risk as bird flu strikes

Chicago

A CASE of bird flu confirmed on Wednesday in the heart of America's poultry region, is certain to mean more export restrictions, increasing US supply and likely forcing the world's biggest poultry companies to trim prices.

The US government announced the infection of highly pathogenic H5N2 avian flu in turkeys in Arkansas - home to Tyson Foods Inc, the world's biggest chicken company. The virus is unlikely to kill enough US birds to offset the drop in overseas demand, however. There will be "more product on the domestic market and that will depress prices", said Jessica Sampson, agricultural economist at Livestock Marketing Information Center.