Egypt poultry industry suffers high feed prices, transportation restrictions

Many Egypt poultry producers are switching from chicken to turkey and egg production in the wake of high feed prices and transportation restrictions that prohibit them from shipping poultry from one governorate to another, according to reports.
The transportation restrictions, meant to prevent the spread of avian flu, have led to a shortage of slaughterhouses and uneven productivity across the country. High feed costs have made it difficult to sustain chicken production. Turkeys, which require less feed and are imported already vaccinated, and egg production are now more profitable, according to farmers. “Another problem is the severe shortage of slaughterhouses," said Ahmed Nassar, executive manager of the Chicken Stock Exchange in el-Qaliubia Governorate. "Meanwhile, chicken breeding is limited to the summer season, because bird flu is more dangerous in winter, while the prices of fodder and vaccines have skyrocketed." The best solution, said Nassar, is to allow chickens to be transported among governorates under strict medical supervision. Currently, Egypt is producing 850 million chickens annually.