Chile suspends chicken exports after bird flu case at commercial farm

Chile’s Agriculture and Livestock Service (SAG) announced the suspension of its poultry product exports after confirming a case of avian influenza, H5N1, at a commercial laying farm in the El Monte area near Santiago. The affected facility houses about 600,000 birds.

The suspension follows a standard biosecurity protocol, as was the case in Argentina, which recorded cases of the disease earlier this year, and is intended to protect trade agreements and prevent the spread of the virus to other partner countries. Chile is a strategic player in the poultry market, exporting to demanding destinations such as the European Union, China and the United States.

Chile is also one of the region’s major consumers of animal protein and an important buyer of Brazilian chicken. In 2025, the Chilean market ranked among the top 10 destinations for Brazil’s poultry exports. For local consumers, Chilean authorities stressed that there is no risk.

The consumption of chicken meat and eggs remains safe as long as the products are properly cooked. The focus now is on regionalization, a strategy aimed at allowing exports from areas not affected by the virus to resume. “We are working intensively on containment. The goal now is to negotiate with international partners so they accept the zoning protocol. That would allow regions with no active cases to resume exports,” Chile’s sanitary authority said in an official statement.

Source: Band.com

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