CHICAGO, Aug 25 (Reuters) - The U.S. Agriculture Department
on Tuesday lifted restrictions on imports of poultry and poultry
products from Ontario, Canada, in the latest sign the farm
sector is starting to recover from a severe outbreak of bird
flu.
The USDA limited imports from Ontario in April after a
deadly strain of the disease was detected on a turkey farm in
the province.
Effective immediately, the restrictions will be removed on
imports of products ranging from live poultry and research birds
to hatching eggs, the agency said in a notice.
The bird flu infected farms in Canada and has killed more
than 48 million turkeys and chickens in the United States since
late December. The losses have pushed U.S. egg prices to record
highs and squeezed turkey supplies ahead of the Thanksgiving
holiday.
No new infections of the virus have been found in the United
States for more than two months, and some farmers whose flocks
were affected have started the slow process of restocking barns.
For large egg producers, the rebuilding process could take up to
two years.
The rebuilding process could last even longer if the virus
re-emerges this fall when wild ducks, which carry the disease,
begin their seasonal migrations.