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.