Shortage of fresh poultry; prices stay firm

Emirates 24/7: "There is a shortage of fresh poultry, according to officials who are looking at alternative sources to meet demand, reported 'Emarat Al Youm'. Meanwhile, poultry firms confirmed their committment to prices set by the Ministry of Economy. Fred El Shamndi Ali, Director-General, Emirates Cooperative, attributed the shortage supply to delayed deliveries from main supplier farms. They are urged to increase production in order to solve the issue by June, he added. However, this has not increased prices, Ali said and aded that they were diversifying the suppliers. Abdullah Ibrahim Al Bahr, Deputy Director-General, Union Cooperative Society, the signs of decline in the supply of fresh poultry began more than a month and has gradually increased. Currently, the outlets are provided with only half the required quantity, he added. However, the cooperative societies are keen on selling poultry at same prices set by the Ministry of Economy - Dh16 per kilogram. The farms are installing new equipment to develop new production lines, causing short supply of fresh poultry. Salah Al Din Jamal, Director of retail sales, National Company for retail and general trading, said “the lack of upply of fresh poultry is not limited to one company, but extends to the markets in general."

Vietnam halts H5N1 poultry vaccination due to new strain

"Vietnam's government has halted a nationwide poultry vaccination against H5N1, saying a new strain of the virus has rendered the current vaccine ineffective. 'Based on post-vaccination surveillance results, a new clade of the H5N1 virus has appeared in Vietnam since 2010,' said the government. The new strain has been found in northern provinces, coastal provinces in the central region and the Central Highlands. The old strain is still active in the southern provinces of Vietnam, according to reports."