USDA Confirms Avian Flu H5N2 in Arkansas Turkey Flock.

Mar 12, 2015

The United States Department of Agriculture confirmed "the presence of highly pathogenic H5N2 avian influenza (HPAI) in a commercial turkey flock in Boone County, Arkansas".

The USDA added that "state officials quarantined the affected premises and birds on the property will be depopulated to prevent the spread of the disease.

Birds from the 40,200-strong turkey flock "will not enter the food system", the statement said, adding that officials deem "low… the risk to people from these HPAI H5 infections in wild birds, backyard flocks and commercial poultry".

'Could widen trading bans'

However, the discovery raised concerns over further curbs on US broiler exports, with countries such as Singapore and Taiwan already having curbed imports of poultry from some US states on grounds of bird flu outbreaks.

"This could widen US poultry trading bans," broker CHS Hedging said.

"Arkansas is the third largest US turkey-producing state, as well as the headquarters for Tyson Foods, the nation's largest chicken company."

Shares in poultry companies fell after US officials confirmed the discovery of a "highly pathogenic" bird flu strain in Arkansas.

Shares in Tyson Foods, the top US-based meat producer, stood 4.9% lower at $37.81 in afternoon deals in New York, where stock in Sanderson Farms, the third-ranked US poultry group, stood 5.8% lower at $77.71.

Shares in Pilgrim's Pride, the US poultry giant controlled by Brazil's JBS, stood 7.2% lower at $24.63.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.