Bird flu might leave Georgia without eggs
Several industrial farms in Georgia have been hit by outbreaks of H9N2 avian influenza virus over the past several weeks, leaving the market in severe shortage, local publication Radio Tavisupleba reported, citing a source at the Georgian National Food Agency and several farmers.
The H9N2 strain is rarely transmitted from birds to humans, and even when it does, it causes only mild symptoms. Compared with other bird flu strains, it also has a relatively low mortality rate among poultry. However, it inflicts enormous damage on poultry producers, the publication warned.
Before the recent wave of outbreaks, Georgia was self-sufficient in eggs. Now, market players are struggling to fill the gap left by the virus. To offset losses, Georgia began importing eggs from Armenia and Turkey.
Egg shortages – conflicting reports
Still, the information coming from Georgia about the bird flu outbreaks remains contradictory. The National Food Agency press office told Radio Tavisupleba that no bird flu outbreaks have been recently registered in the country.
A severe egg shortage in the country is evident to the naked eye, though. Another local publication, Paper Kartuli, warned that in at least several cities, eggs completely disappeared from the grocery shelves.
On the other hand, local poultry industry officials deny reports that the eggs are in short supply. “There is no shortage of eggs; we are simply used to the fact that the shelves should be stocked,” Zurab Uchumbegashvili, head of the Poultry Development Association, told BusinessPressNews, a local news outlet.
“This year, local production has increased; we produce more than last year, but imports have decreased,” Uchumbegashvili said, adding that the shelves are empty because stores are switching from imports to domestic production, and by January or February, things should return to normal.
Imports drop
The only possible reason the Georgian egg market could plunge into a shortage is if citizens massively succumb to panic buying, Uchumbegashvili said.
In 2024, Georgia is expected to manufacture 700 million eggs, nearly 20 million more than in the previous year, Uchumbegashvili said, citing data from the Georgian statistical service Geostat.
Imports into Georgia have dropped for several reasons. Key regional suppliers, such as Turkey, consider Turkey a low-profit destination and are focusing on more lucrative markets. For example, as Uchumbegashvili explained, Turkey has prioritised exporting eggs to the United States amid high demand there.
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