By Ceyda Caglayan
Istanbul (Reuters) – Turkey has started exporting around 15,000 tons of eggs to the United States, where a continuous outbreak of bird flu disturbed the supply, prices rose and led to conversations with other producers, said a prominent sector official Wednesday.
Ibrahim Afyon, chairman of the Egg producers Central Union (Yum-Bir) in Turkey, said Reuters that the shipments started this month and will continue until July.
“The export will take place through our affiliated companies with the required authorizations, while two companies will coordinate the process,” said Afyon.
“A total of 15,000 tons of eggs – equivalent to 700 containers – are sent.”
The US has worked on controlling the spread of bird flu, which was first detected in dairy cattle in Texas in March and has since spread to several states. The virus has infected nearly 70 people since April, including one fatal matter, mainly among farm workers who are exposed to contaminated poultry or cattle.
An outbreak in poultry that started in 2022 has wiped out about 160 million chickens, turkeys and other birds, which contributes to egg shortages.
In response, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has given conditional approval to animal health company Zoetis for the use of a bird flu vaccine in poultry.
The agency also rebuilt a stock of vaccines tailored to the current tension that affects commercial herds and wild birds.
Faced with supply restrictions, American companies have searched for alternative import markets, which leads to negotiations with Turkish producers, Afyon said.
He said that the deal is expected to generate around $ 26 million in export income.
Turkey belongs to the world’s top 10 egg -exporters, Afyon added.
(Reporting by Ceyda Caglayan, writing by Ece Toksabay; adaptation by Jonathan Spicer, Alexandra Hudson)
