A year after avian influenza in Iowa poultry producers may be out of the woods in regards to another major outbreak, but they’re still feeling the lingering economic effects. Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey says he’s pleased there were no cases of high path bird flu in the state or region this spring and with temperatures warming there should not be a re-occurrence.

Despite that, Northey says the longer term market impact from the bird flu is still at play in the food service industry.

And as a result he says poultry operations that repopulated are experiencing significantly depressed prices.

In fact, he says the break even level for many Iowa egg producers is around 50-cents per dozen, but they’re only receiving 25-cents a dozen for their product.