The National Health Service has reported that a total of 480,000 poultry animals were killed on Wednesday in 12 farms in the state of Guanajuato.
A press release of the National Health, Safety and Quality Service (SENASICA) reads:
The National Service of Health, Food Safety and Quality (SENASICA) reports that according to the operative carried out in order to contain an outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, AH7N3, in four municipalities of Guanajuato, up to February 19 789,500 have been vaccinated birds and a total of 480,000 slaughtered in the twelve affected farms.
It is the second such warning put out by the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food in Guatemala in less than six months.
The Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries and Food (SAGARPA) in Mexico confirmed the appearance of the H7N3 virus on 8 January in the state of Aguascalientes and another outbreak on January 12 in Jalisco, noted an article in Prensalibre.com.
A Mexican union of transporters has forced the internal transport of goods to be performed only in locally registered vans.
Nacion.com reports that "Costa Rica has been unable to export eggs to Mexico because a transport union in that country insisted on the transfer of the product in order to allow its admission."
William Cardoza, executive director of the National Poultry Association (Canavi), said that despite having all health permits, Costa Rican and Mexican, and despite having buyers in the territory of that country, the export of Costa Rican eggs has not taken place.
Pollo Rey invested $20 million in moving its processing plants while Cargill is spending $25 million in a new distribution center.
The poultry division of Corporación Multiinversiones (Dipcmi), maker of Pollo Rey, moved its processing plant from San Carlos to its central headquarters in Coyol de Alajuela.
“Additionally, the company reported that for the second half of 2013 they will move another processing plant, also located in San Carlos, to a 1.000 m2 space in Barranca de Puntarenas”, reported Elfinancierocr.com.
The first auction of import rights in Panama for poultry meat from the U.S. will be held from December 10 to December 14, 2012.
Notice of Auction Panama Poultry Export Quota, Inc.:
Notice of Auction
Panama Poultry Export Quota, Inc. (PAN-PEQ)
Offers will be accepted from 10 December to 14 December 2012
Panama Poultry Export Quota, Inc. (PAN-PEQ) is inviting the public to lodge their bids for the right to import or chicken leg or thigh meat of U.S. origin to Panama under a tariff-free quota granted by the Republic of Panama to the United States under the Trade Promotion Agreement (TPA) between the U.S. and Panama. The product to be imported is chicken leg or thigh, on the bone (codes 02071419c 02071319c and Staging List of Panama), in accordance with paragraph 7 of Appendix I of the General Notes to the Tariff Schedule of the Republic of Panama to Annex 3.3 of the TPC. The product must be imported to Panama from 1 January to 31 December 2013. At this time Certificates of Quota Allocation will be auctioned for a total volume of 363 tonnes.
The government of Mexico will invest $7.8 million in the repopulation of poultry units affected by the strain of avian influenza AH7N3.
A press release from the Costa Rican Foreign Trade Promotion Office reads:
Through the Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries and Food (SAGARPA), Mexico's government will invest 100 million pesos (7.8 million USD) for the repopulation of poultry units affected by avian influenza AH7N3.
The sector reported that it will close 2012 with growth of 17%, despite a 50% increase in the price of inputs and the effects of the sale of eggs smuggled from Honduras.
As reported in elnuevodiario.com.ni, production of eggs per day reached 46.000 boxes, while per capita consumption is 92 eggs a year, when in 2008 was 63.
"Despite the good figures, industry representatives are concerned about the rising cost of raw materials, such as yellow corn, sorghum and soybeans, and reported that the number of boxes of eggs entering from Hondoras per week is around 20.000, they say that these are poor quality because they ‘are in the last days of their shelf life’ ".
Due to the presence of a red tide a ban is in force on fishing, commerce and consumption of oysters, clams, mussels, snails and abalone.
A press release from the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock of El Salvador reads:
In light of the presence of a red tide, a ban is in place, starting today and indefinitely on fishing, sale and consumption of oysters, mussels, clams, snails and abalone, whether they come from .domestic production or imports.
Obtaining the appropriate health permits for Mexico enables Rican producers export more than 40,000 tons of eggs.
The outbreaks of avian influenza in the Aztec country motivated the sacrifice of 11 million birds, causing Mexican authorities to lift all restrictions on the importation of eggs, in order to meet domestic demand.
An article in Nacion.com reports that "The National Poultry Chamber (Canavi in Spanish) said in a statement this afternoon, that the National Service of Food Safety and Quality of Mexico has sent the permit to the National Animal Health Service (SENASA) of Costa Rica. '
With an investment of $3.5 million, the company is to open its eighth processing plant, in the region of Las Maderas.
The farm, consisting of 10 galleries for 38,000 birds each, will have capacity to produce 12.5 million pounds of chicken a year, said Cargill’s corporate vice president for Nicaragua, Alfredo Velez.
The company currently generates 2,450 direct jobs and 96,000 indirect ones, and it is expected that the new facilities will generate a further 100 jobs.
The Mediterrean Shipping Company Mexico has announced the activation of its system of alliances with Colombian and Costa Rican ports in order to give special attention to ships with refrigerated cargo of chicken and eggs.
Through the program the company is making available to Mexico their ship’s continental routes to aid in the supply of eggs and chicken in the face of effects of the outbreak of bird flu detected in the state of Jalisco.
In order to overcome a shortage in the market and the consequent rise in prices, Mexico is eliminating tariffs from egg imports from any country that provides them.
A statement from the Ministry of Economy in Mexico reads:
Given the significant recovery in the price of eggs in the last few days, the Secretary of Economy, Bruno Ferrari, announced this afternoon the elimination of tariffs on imports of this product from countries with which we have trade agreements.
In light of an outbreak of the H7N3 virus in the Mexican state of Jalisco, poultry authorities in the region have standardized criteria for actions to address this threat.
Avian influenza is an infectious viral disease that affects birds, but has enough potential to infect different species of mammals.
"Humberto Maldonado, director of Animal Health, at the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food (MAGA), explained that 'the first thing to do in these circumstances is to strengthen epidemiological surveillance in the border area and solicit the support of the Ministry of the Interior and the Guatemala Army and to control smuggling of chicken meat and eggs ', because this is what poses the greatest risk to Central America", noted an article in Siglo21.com.gt
Following the outbreak of bird flu, the price of eggs has shot up and the government has announced the opening of import quotas.
As a measure to achieve stability in the price of eggs, which recorded increases of up to 60%, the Ministry of Economy in Mexico has announced tighter controls on imports in order to prevent speculation.
With the death and slaughter of chickens because of the AH7N3 virus in Los Altos de Jalisco, an area producing 50% of domestic supply, there was a drop of 2 million eggs a day, said the Department of Economic Development and Tourism in Tepatitlán .
Preventive measures are being taken in light of an outbreak of the H7N3 virus in the Mexican state of Jalisco, which has led to the slaughter of about 900,000 birds.
Faced with the threat of the virus, the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food (Maga) has increased controls in border areas with Mexico, said the Deputy Minister Sebastian Marcucci.