Last weekend, Super Typhoon Yagi made landfall in China’s southernmost province of Hainan, devastating the local poultry industry, with over 13 million chickens lost to the storm.
These unfortunate chickens are a local Hainan breed known as Wenchang chickens, famed across China for their tender and delicious meat. They are also the key ingredient in a popular dish called "Coconut Chicken Hotpot." The severe damage caused by the typhoon has now led to a "chicken shortage crisis" for this renowned delicacy.
According to the China Meteorological Administration, Typhoon Yagi was the strongest autumn typhoon to make landfall in China since 1949, hitting Wenchang City—the very origin of Wenchang chickens, in Hainan Province.
The head of the local Wenchang Chicken Industry Association stated that there were approximately 22 million Wenchang chickens in Wenchang City before the typhoon. Out of this, an estimated 13.2 million died due to the storm, resulting in an economic loss of roughly 200 million RMB (around 28 million USD).
Local media in Wenchang reported that several chicken farmers in the area claimed their coops were blown away by the typhoon, and many chickens, frightened by the storm, were crushed to death.
As a result of the storm, several chain restaurants in China specializing in Coconut Chicken Hotpot announced that, due to the severe damage to their Wenchang chicken farming bases in Wenchang, Hainan, they would have to limit the supply of this dish.
Wenchang chicken is particularly popular in the neighboring province of Guangdong, where Coconut Chicken Hotpot is even regarded as a "signature dish" of Shenzhen.
According to a 2022 survey by Chinese media, there are nearly 2,000 Coconut Chicken restaurants in Shenzhen, compared to only about 300 in the Hainan region.