A widespread bird flu outbreak in Western Australia would have an impact beyond the agriculture sector and could push the price of eggs above $10 a carton.
CCIWA is calling on the WA Government to develop an industry support package to help poultry farmers and the broader supply chain, if an outbreak leads to a significant bird cull.
So far bird flu has only been detected in a small number of migratory birds in WA and not in the State’s agricultural sector, which maintains world-class biosecurity standards.
Support should also be considered for tourism operators, native wildlife sanctuaries and zoos if there is a major outbreak.
CCIWA Chief Executive, Will Golsby, said the impact on chicken and egg farms could take months to unfold.
“If bird flu does spread to agriculture and birds need to be culled, farmers may be eligible for compensation to replace them, but that doesn’t come close to covering the true cost of an outbreak on a farm,” he said.
“An outbreak would likely require a farm to be closed for several months. Farmers would then need to source new chickens, grow them to productive size and navigate re-entry to markets and supply chains.
“It could be months of lost profit with farmers facing immediate cash-flow challenges.
“We believe a broader industry assistance package should be on the table to ensure WA can maintain a viable poultry sector into the future.”
Mr Golsby said there was also concern among retailers, butchers and hospitality venues about the supply and cost of chicken meat and eggs.
“We saw from outbreaks of a different strain of bird flu on the East Coast in 2024 that egg prices were impacted across the nation, so we can expect a similar price spike if the situation in WA escalates” he said.
“Our calculations show that the cost of carton of a dozen eggs could jump to between $9 and $11 if a widespread outbreak leads to a 30% drop in egg supply, a price spike of 75%.
“This will further squeeze businesses already struggling with rising costs and will impact prices for consumers who are also doing it tough.
Mr Golsby said the impact on WA’s nature tourism sector should also be considered.
“Nature-based tourism, which includes birdwatching, is worth around $1.5 billion a year to WA’s economy,” he said.
“A major bird flu outbreak impacting native birds would impact tourism directly.”
Mr Golsby said native wildlife sanctuaries, zoos and biosecurity services will also need additional support.
“Wildlife sanctuaries do an incredible amount of work in our community with very little funding, and alongside poultry farmers are on the frontline in protecting WA from the virus,” he said.
“These services shoulder costs that would otherwise fall to Government and help to reduce the risk of disease spread.
“With potential for significant losses to wildlife, adequate and timely support should be considered to help these services navigate turbulent times ahead.”
