Cal Maine ceases operations at Texas facility after bird flu detected
Cal-Maine Foods facility in Parmer County, Texas, has temporarily halted operations due to highly pathogenic avian influenza detected on the premises. The company depopulated around 1.6 million laying hens and 337,000 pullets, or 3.6% of its total flock, as of March 2. Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller emphasized the need for producers to practice heightened biosecurity measures due to the rapid spread of the virus. The detection comes as a peculiar strain of avian influenza affects dairy cow herds in Texas, Kansas, Michigan, and other parts of the country. There is now little risk to the public, and national and state organizations are updating their guidelines as new information becomes available. Bird flu has already caused Cal-Maine to suspend production; a comparable outbreak occurred in Kansas during the third quarter that ended on March 2. Due to a "significant decrease" in egg prices, the company reported net sales of $703 million in the third quarter, which was 30% less than the same period last year. The most recent quarter's net income was $146.7 million, while sales volumes rose by 3% over the previous one.