BRASILIA (Reuters) – Brazil’s Agriculture Minister Carlos Favaro said on Wednesday there were strong indications that the world’s biggest chicken exporter had efficiently contained a bird flu outbreak which was reported on a commercial farm in mid-May.
Brazil’s first-ever case of the highly pathogenic avian influenza was reported on a commercial farm in Rio Grande do Sul state last month, prompting dozens of trade partners to ban Brazilian chicken at countrywide and regional levels.
Countries including China, South Korea and the European Union, were in talks with Brazil to ease their bans, Favaro said in Brasilia, adding that many partners were expected to relax restrictions before the 28-day observation period is up later this month.
Since the outbreak, chicken prices in Brazil have fallen around 7%, Favaro said, adding the decline was normal and not alarming and that almost three quarters of Brazil’s chicken production was now being consumed domestically.
Brazil has seen more than 170 confirmed cases of bird flu since 2023 – including an outbreak at the zoo in capital Brasilia – but just one case at a commercial farm.
(Reporting by Lisandra Paraguassu; Writing by Oliver Griffin; Editing by Brad Haynes and Bernadette Baum)
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