Hurricane Matthew’s toll on poultry industry mounts

Officials in North Carolina are still assessing the damages caused by Hurricane Matthew and its subsequent floods, saying it could be several weeks before its true impact can be felt.

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Trendobjects, Bigstock.com
Trendobjects, Bigstock.com

Officials in North Carolina are still assessing the damages caused by Hurricane Matthew and its subsequent floods, saying it could be several weeks before its true impact on the poultry industry can be felt.

According to a press release from the North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services (NCDA&CS), 48 counties in the state have been affected by the storm, and those counties represent 71 percent of the state’s total farm cash receipts.

Bob Etheridge, North Carolina state director of the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) further stated that the are hit by the storms represents 70 percent of North Carolina’s poultry production.

“I don’t think we’ll know the full costs for several weeks now,” Etheridge told USDA Radio News.

NCDA&CS reported the current estimates of bird losses are at 1.9 million head, although there has been speculation that those losses could reach as high as 5 million head.

One poultry company with a presence in North Carolina, House of Raeford Farms, was able to reduce bird losses by moving chickens from high-risk areas to empty farms in safer areas.

Poor road conditions, damaged equipment add to troubles

While the floods have caused bird losses and damage to barns, Etheridge is reporting other problems brought on by Matthew.

Even those farms in affected areas that did not suffer flock losses are still experiencing hardships as the road conditions are not conducive for trucks delivering feed. Fuel is also needed to operate generators at farms that have suffered power outages, and those fuel delivery trucks are also having trouble getting to farms.

Disposal efforts have also been hampered, Etheridge said, because farm implements and equipment that are needed in the process have been damaged by floodwaters and are not functioning properly.

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