Hong Kong bans poultry imports from Alberta as US egg production outlook improves
USDA raises its 2026 US table egg production forecast as layer flock numbers recover despite disease-related losses.
GLOBAL – Hong Kong has imposed an immediate suspension on imports of poultry meat, poultry products and eggs from a designated area in Alberta, Canada, after authorities were notified of a highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza outbreak reported to the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH).
The restriction was announced by Hong Kong’s Centre for Food Safety (CFS), which said the move was intended to safeguard public health following confirmation of the disease in the Canadian province.
According to data from Hong Kong’s Census and Statistics Department, the territory did not import any poultry meat or eggs from Canada during the first quarter of the year.
Meanwhile, the CFS said it has been in contact with Canadian officials and will continue tracking developments through WOAH and other relevant organisations before deciding whether additional measures are required.
US egg output forecast revised upward
As Hong Kong tightens import controls, the United States is expecting a significant increase in table egg production in 2026 as flock numbers continue to recover from previous avian influenza disruptions, according to the US Department of Agriculture’s April Livestock, Dairy and Poultry Outlook.
The USDA reported that table egg production reached 597.3 million dozen in February 2026, representing a 5.1% increase compared with the same month a year earlier.
The increase was linked to an average table egg layer inventory of 312.9 million hens, which was 5.9% higher than the previous year, although the average laying rate declined to 81.8 eggs per 100 layers per day, down by 0.7 eggs from February 2025.
During February, highly pathogenic avian influenza resulted in the loss of 9.47 million commercial table egg layers, yet the industry continued rebuilding its flock, with inventories climbing by 5.8 million birds from the previous month to reach 315.8 million on 1 March.
The USDA subsequently increased its estimate for first-quarter table egg production to 1,915 million dozen and raised its second-quarter projection to 1,960 million dozen.
Production forecasts for the third and fourth quarters remained unchanged at 2,000 million dozen and 2,025 million dozen respectively, bringing the agency’s total 2026 table egg production forecast to 7,900 million dozen, which would represent a 5.4% increase from 2025 levels.
Prices expected to decline
In response to higher production expectations, the USDA lowered its wholesale table egg price forecasts for the remainder of the year.
Average wholesale prices are now projected at US$0.80 per dozen in the second quarter, US$0.85 per dozen in the third quarter and US$1.20 per dozen in the fourth quarter, resulting in an annual average forecast of US$1.026 per dozen.
If realised, the projected annual average would mark the lowest average wholesale table egg price recorded since 2019.
At the retail level, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that consumers paid an average of US$2.50 for a dozen eggs in February, a decline of 58%, or US$3.40, compared with the same month in 2025.
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