Global Bird Flu Outbreak Leaves China Facing Baby Chick Shortage
- US suppliers are grappling with the deadliest wave on record
- China imports breeding stock for white-feather broiler chicken
This article is for subscribers only.
An unprecedented global bird flu outbreak that has killed off 58 million birds in the US alone in a little over a year is causing pain in the world’s second-largest poultry producer: China is running short of baby chicks.
Since the start of the year, prices have soared in China, threatening to drive up food inflation but also exposing a weak link in Beijing’s efforts to shore up food security. The world’s largest market relies heavily on imported breeding stock for white-feathered broiler chickens, which account for more than half of the country’s chicken production.