Bird flu threat ruffling shuttlecock feathers

Sports/Olympics / Weekly Roundup

 Bird flu threat ruffling shuttlecock feathers
(China Daily)
Updated: 2006-03-15 06:22

LONDON: The feathers of the badminton world are being ruffled by the
threat of bird flu.

Shortages of goose feathers in China and tightened manufacturing
regulations are pushing up prices of shuttlecocks, the feathered
projectiles hit over the net in badminton.

The H5N1 epidemic has added to long-term concerns about the supply chain
of feathers because it has led to the culling or deaths of some 200
million birds since late 2003.

"It (bird flu) has put more pressure on the whole situation that was
straining already," a spokesman for Yonex, the world's largest badminton
equipment supplier, told Reuters.

Shuttlecocks are traditionally made from 16 goose feathers which are
taken from under the same bird's wing and then cleaned, cut and attached
to a base of Portuguese cork.

"The price of a cut feather in the last six months has increased quite
dramatically, somewhere in excess of 50 per cent," Ian Little, owner of
British badminton retailer and wholesaler Yehlex said.

Feather shuttlecocks rather than the plastic variety are used by
professional badminton players because of their lighter weight, accuracy
and the way they move through the air with a "peak and drop" effect that
the plastics cannot match.

The retail price of a championship grade feather shuttlecock is currently
nearly one pound (US$1.73), but the rising cost of the feathers is set to
push up prices.

Prices up

Another spokesman for Yonex said that the prices of their shuttlecocks
had increased by around 20 to 25 per cent, effective March, and Yehlex
said it also plans to raise prices.

The Yonex spokesmen agreed that the rising prices were partly due to
increased regulation and monitoring of the feathers during manufacture.

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