Shuttlecocks to cost more due to H7N9

Feather market in 'chaos' as concerns over bird flu affect supply, production

Bad news for badminton fans: The price of shuttlecocks will rise in coming months as the supply of duck feathers needed to make them dwindles because of the H7N9 bird flu outbreak.

"We're planning an increase of 4 or 5 yuan (65 to 81 US cents) for each pack of 12 shuttlecocks in July, if bird flu has not been brought under control by then," said Liu Zhisong, a technical manager at Bo'er Shuttlecock Factory, one of the largest shuttlecock manufacturers in Anhui province.