Bird flu outbreak cost economy P79 B in 2017

The bird flu outbreak in 2017 cost the Philippine economy as much as P79 billion as consumers veered away from eating poultry products and shifted to more expensive meat while poultry producers suffered profit losses, a new study estimated.

- By JASPER EMMANUEL ARCALAS

A recent discussion paper published by the Japan-based National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies estimated the economic impact of the 2017 bird flu outbreaks in the country.

The study, conducted by Lary Nel Abao, Deborah Kim Sy, Nobuhiro Hosoe and Yuko Akune, pointed out that the profit and welfare impacts of the bird flu outbreaks in 2017 have not been quantified to date.

Based on their estimates, the bird flu outbreaks resulted in a welfare loss between P25 and P56 billion after consumers refrained from buying and consuming poultry products.

Meanwhile, poultry producers lost between P15 billion and P23 billion in profits as prices dropped after the bird flu outbreaks, according to the study.