April 17

4/17 - Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI or Avian Flu) has claimed the lives of 58.65M U.S. birds since Jan 2022 - mostly turkeys and egg layers - and that trend is continuing in 2023. Another 58,000 turkeys were infected/destroyed in Pennsylvania in March. Springtime means large numbers of migrating birds in U.S. flyways – and lots of chances for commercial flocks to become infected. In last week’s WASDE, the USDA projected 2023 U.S. turkey production to be up 7.0% after declining by 6.0% in 2022. Whole turkey prices that averaged a record high $154.50/cwt in 2022 are forecast even higher at $171.50 for 2023. The USDA projected U.S. egg production will increase 2.3% in 2023 following a 2.4% decline in 2022. The USDA NY large egg market jumped from $1.18 per dozen in 2021 to $2.82 in 2022. The USDA is currently forecasting modest relief at $2.14 for 2023.