H9N2 bird flu has spread in Georgia’s poultry sector, forcing poultry producer Chirina to halt production for four months and conduct full sanitary disinfection, the company’s founder and managing partner Revaz Vashakidze told the TV-program Tsetili. He estimated the company’s losses at around GEL 12 million.
Vashakidze said Chirina first detected the virus in spring and took various preventive measures, but was ultimately forced to suspend operations. The disruption also led to the temporary closure of the company’s Biu-Biu retail stores. He attributed the spread partly to Georgia’s largely unrestricted imports of live poultry and poultry products, as well as the country’s role as a transit hub.
According to Vashakidze, the virus significantly reduces egg production and requires two to three months for recovery. He said H9N2 initially affected laying hens and later spread to broilers, ultimately halting Chirina’s production. He also claimed that the virus remains in circulation in Georgia and called for stronger measures from the National Food Agency.
Chirina has now started raising a new batch of broilers, with slaughtering expected to begin around October 28. Vashakidze said poultry meat production will resume fully in early November, when Chirina products are also expected to return to Biu-Biu stores. He added that the company has continued exporting broiler eggs and recently shipped a consignment to Azerbaijan.
