Iowa poultry industry recovery continues

Iowa's poultry industry continues a slow uneven recovery from the devastating impact of a highly pathogenic avian flu outbreak in 2015.

Iowa egg production in April 2016 was 1.09 billion eggs, down 17 percent from 1.28 billion eggs in April 2015, but up sharply from 812 million eggs in December 2015, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service.

The average number of all layers on hand during April 2016 was 49.2 million, down 12 percent from 56.1 million in April 2015, but up from 37.9 million in December 2015. Eggs per 100 layers for April were 2,203, down 5 percent from 2,319 in April 2015, but up from 2,140 in December 2015.

United States egg production totaled 8.21 billion during April 2016, down 1 percent from 8.29 billion in April 2015. April egg production per 100 layers was 2,273 eggs, down 1 percent from 2,291 eggs in April 2015.

Iowa took an economic hit of about $1.2 billion stemming from the death of more than 30 million hens and 1.5 million turkeys because of the avian flu outbreak in the spring of 2015, according to a study commissioned by the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation.

The study, conducted by Decision Innovation Solutions of Urbandale, said the avian flu outbreak resulted in the loss of 8,444 jobs, many of which will not be recovered. The study also determined there was a $427 million impact in lost wages in addition to the lost jobs, as well as about $145 million in lost taxes.

Iowa remains the top egg-producing state, but other states have continued to make advances in the wake of the avian flu outbreak. Ohio production totaled 751 million eggs in April and Indiana recorded 731 million eggs in the same month.