Bird flu could cost billions, send food prices soaring

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Households could be forced to pay almost double for eggs and chicken dinners if bird flu gets into the nation's commercial poultry flocks.

A bird flu outbreak in Australia's commercial poultry flocks could cost billions of dollars and send prices for a roast chook and a carton of eggs soaring, analysts warn.

The H5N1 strain was first confirmed on home soil on June 19 after a migrating brown skua washed up on a remote beach near Esperance in Western Australia.

As of November 12, there have been more than 730 confirmed flu events in wildlife, according to federal agriculture department data.

But there have been no detections reported in commercial poultry or agricultural livestock.

If the highly virulent strain of avian influenza were to bypass biosecurity measures and breach commercial poultry farms, it could put a hefty dent in the national economy.

EY-Parthenon analysis found real GDP could be between $0.7 billion and $6.2 billion lower than would otherwise be expected over 2026–2028.

An outbreak could also reduce employment by between 495 and 5629 full-time-equivalent jobs, and push up the price of everyday food staples.

Most Australians would notice the impact at the supermarket checkout rather than through headline economic indicators, though.

A kilogram of chicken breast could increase from $11.00 to $19.25, and a rotisserie chicken could rise from $13.00 to $22.75.

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