Poultry may get boost from mad cow scare

<p>Fear over the nations first case of mad cow disease could benefit the poultry industry in the next few days.</p><p>But industry and agriculture experts predicted Wednesday that any shift in consumers meat-purchasing habits would be short-lived.</p><p>I suspect youll have some temporary effect in the marketplace on every commodity, said Tommy Irvin, agriculture commissioner in Georgia, where the poultry industry generates $12 billion annually. But I think the long-term price on beef is going to recover from whatever hit its taken because the public is going to realize that the supply is safe.</p><p>On Wednesday, at least some poultry outlets seemed to be getting an immediate boost from news that a cow in Washington state showed up with the degenerative brain disease _ leading nations including Japan, Taiwan and Mexico to ban imports of U.S. beef.</p><p>On Wall Street, the nations leading egg producer, Cal-Maine Foods Inc., was up $2.10 per share.</p><p>At the same time, beef-heavy restaurant chains suffered. In early trading, McDonalds Corp. lost $1.47, Wendys International Inc. was down $2.05 and Outback Steakhouse Inc. shares fell $1.78.</p><p>Restaurants specializing in chicken, not beef, said they expect to benefit from those declines.</p><p>Were not trying to advance ourselves in the negative, but we do believe it could drive up appetite for chicken, said Don Perry, spokesman for Atlanta-based Chick-Fil-A.</p><p>But Perry said the chain _ which has 1,125 fast-food restaurants and an advertising campaign with cute cows urging people to eat chicken instead of beef _ isnt looking at the scare as good news.</p><p>Any time theres a concern about something in the food service system, it can hurt all of us, he said. In our case, there may be a positive, in terms of more appetite for chicken, but you hope it doesnt have a ripple effect where people say theyre just not dining out until this is over.</p>

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