What poultry producers are saying about the COVID-19 pandemic.

What poultry producers are saying about the COVID-19 pandemic.Disruptions caused the novel coronavirus have hit broiler and egg produces in a variety of ways.Poultry producers around the world are being affected by the impact of COVID-19, but the impacts vary markedly from market to market. Different countries are at different stages in the disease’s progression, with some already relaxing restrictions while others are yet to feel virus’ the full effects. Additionally, some governments have been reasonably successful in halting the disease’s spread, allowing economies to continue with a degree of normality while, in others, governments have failed to act at all or have inadvertently made production more difficult. A recent survey conducted by WATT Global Media attempted to directly find out how broiler and egg producer are being affected, and sought the sector’s views from around the world. Unsurprisingly, the results reflected the varying impact of the pandemic. How is the pandemic impacting costs, logistics and inputs? Again, there was a huge variety of response to our survey from market to market. Some producers bemoaned a lack of worker productivity, or of having to pay hourly bonuses to keep staff working while, for others, shortages of cleaning products for use at slaughter and in processing have been an issue. Yet illustrative of how different markets are experiencing the disease in different ways, one respondent noted that the disease was still not being taken seriously and preventative measures were not being followed. Fluctuating prices for additives, a build-up of inventory and, in one case, a complete inability to function, were also highlighted.