The current outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has a major impact on employee welfare, Hormel executives said during the BofA Securities 2023 Consumer & Retail Conference on March 14.
“We’re so grateful for the leadership of that business as well as the teams who have had to manage through that because it is exceptionally difficult.,” explained Deanna Brady, executive vice president, Retail, Hormel.
The company is most concerned about the outbreak’s impact on animal welfare and employee welfare, she added.
HPAI fairly quiet in U.S. right now
The U.S. is currently experiencing the worst outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) since 2015. The virus has been confirmed in commercial poultry flocks in 13 U.S. states since the start of 2023, including North Dakota, Kentucky, Delaware, Maryland, Missouri, Iowa, Wisconsin, South Dakota, Indiana, North Carolina, Minnesota, Kansas and Texas. The virus has also been confirmed in poultry in the Canadian provinces of Alberta, Ontario and Nova Scotia.
“Right now, it’s a bit quiet, but HPAI is still out there in other parts of the world. It’s possible it could be back at us this spring. We’re in a different world with HPAI now, it’s not nearly as predictable as it once was,” she added.
“We’re well prepared. We know how to manage it, but it’s not easy. It’s extremely difficult.”
According to a March 2 call with analysts, there have been no new HPAI cases reported since December 22, 2022, among the turkey supplies for Jennie-O Turkey Store. The Hormel subsidiary experienced significant supply constraints throughout 2022 due to HPAI..
“Turkey supplies have improved since the fall,” Smiley said. “We anticipate more normalized volume comparisons for the remainder of the year, barring a return of HPAI in the spring,” Hormel chief financial officer Jacinth Smiley shared.
To learn more about HPAI cases in commercial poultry flocks in the United States and Canada, see an interactive map on WATTPoultry.com.
Read our ongoing coverage of the global avian influenza outbreak.
