The results are the fruit of a successful collaboration between the public and private sectors, which helped the country quickly regain its Avian influenza free status in 2023 and strengthen its position in international markets.
The Chilean poultry sector has shown a remarkable recovery after the Avian flu outbreak of 2023, reaching positive figures in production and exports during the first half of 2024.
According to data from the Chilean Statistics Institute and Chilean Customs, chicken production in Chile saw a 4% year-over-year growth, reaching 344,000 tons. In the first half of 2022, 335,884 tons were produced, meaning that the numbers are close to pre-outbreak levels.
This growth was also reflected in exports, which grew by 29% in volume and 33% in value, reaching 85,000 tons and $176 million USD. The primary destinations for Chilean chicken were the United States, Mexico, and Puerto Rico, consolidating the country as a key supplier for those markets. Looking at pre-outbreak figures, 97,000 tons were exported in 2022, representing $272 million USD, which shows an upturn in volume closer to a normal year.
In turn, turkey exports grew 16% in volume compared to 2023, reaching 13,000 tons. However, their value dropped 37%, with a total of $32 million USD. The United States, Mexico, and Peru were the main destination markets. In 2022, before Avian flu, 15,000 tons of turkey were exported during the first half of the year, representing $63 million USD.
The swift recovery of the poultry sector after the crisis was possible thanks to the measures implemented by the Agricultural and Livestock Service (SAG) together with ChileCarne. Juan Carlos Domínguez, President of ChileCarne, celebrated the effective response. “The remarkable growth of the chicken and turkey industry in the last two decades is largely due to Chile’s ability to access the most demanding markets worldwide. Recovering our Avian influenza free status just six months after the first outbreak is clear evidence of the great collaboration between the public and private sectors to preserve the health of our poultry,” he said.
Globally, the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reported a 1.2% increase in international chicken prices for July, driven by demand from the Near East and North Africa, two regions impacted by Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI). This increase creates a favorable scenario for chicken, which strengthens Chile’s position as a competitive exporter.
According to the USDA’s August 2024 report, chicken production during the second quarter grew 0.9% compared to last year, driven by April’s production levels. Chicken exceeded the average of the last five years by 2% in the last three weeks with available data. Turkey production in June 2024 amounted to 185,000 tons, 17.2% less than in June last year. That month, 545,600 birds were also lost to HPAI in Minnesota and Iowa in the United States.
