Brazil has halted chicken exports to the European Union and Argentina after a virulent avian disease was detected on a commercial farm. This suspension interrupts shipments from the world’s largest exporter of poultry.
A poultry farm in Rio Grande do Sul was shut down after authorities confirmed the presence of the Newcastle virus on Wednesday. The country’s Ministry of Agriculture stated that the affected birds will be culled to prevent the spread of the disease.
The South American nation also suspended exports of chicken, eggs, and other poultry products from its border state with Uruguay to other countries, including China, India, South Africa, and Mexico.
Newcastle disease, which spreads rapidly among birds but does not affect humans, often leads major importing countries to ban chicken imports from infected regions. This could have a significant impact on BRF SA, Brazil’s largest chicken producer, which has been recovering from a downturn in the poultry industry.
BRF’s stock fell by 7.9% on Thursday, marking its largest decline since November, while Marfrig Global Foods SA, which controls BRF, saw a 9.1% drop, the biggest setback since late 2022. JBS SA’s shares also decreased by 2.5%.
Brazil’s Minister of Agriculture, Carlos Favaro, reported that one chicken tested positive for Newcastle disease, which affects the respiratory, nervous, and digestive systems of birds. Favaro mentioned that a collapsing roof in a henhouse after a storm may have exposed the chicken to the virus, which can be found in the feces of infected wild birds.
He reassured the public, stating, “It seems to be an isolated case. There are no signs of sick animals in the area, let alone in the region.” Newcastle disease was last detected in Brazilian poultry in 2006, and according to the World Organisation for Animal Health, there have been no prior cases in commercial flocks in the country.
Source: https://www.perfil.com/noticias/bloomberg/bc-brasil-detiene-exportaciones-de-pollo-a-ue-y-argentina-por-enfermedad-de-newcastle.phtml
