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The worst outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza in the United States disrupted production and led to increased poultry prices in 2022.
While the disease ravaged other states and Canadian provinces starting in spring, Arkansas dodged a bullet. However, the state’s luck ran out in October, with detection of its first 2022 case in Madison County. As of Dec. 7, three flocks were found to have the highly pathogenic strain of avian influenza, or HPAI.
The disease has been found in commercial and backyard flocks in 46 states and in wild birds in 47 states, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. As of Dec. 7, 52.87 million birds have been affected, making this the most significant outbreak in U.S. history in terms of number of birds affected.
“Arguably, it wasn’t the best year for poultry production in general in the U.S.,” said Jada Thompson, assistant professor of agricultural economics and agribusiness for the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, the research arm of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.
Thompson said Avian influenza caused serious logistical and marketing challenges for Arkansas producers.
“Farms that were in control areas had limited movements on and off farm, which leads to disruptions in normal business, causes stress and may lead to financial losses related to productivity or timing of processing,” Thompson said.
Thompson said the increased demand for replacement birds resulting from HPAI also contributed to supply chain challenges.
“HPAI was a lot more concentrated in turkey layer farms, because they are more susceptible to it than broilers,” she said.
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