Industry News - PM

Vilsack says bird flu tab closing in on $200 million


By Chris Scott on 7/29/2015

The federal government is preparing to spend an estimated $191 million to cover the losses of chicken and turkey farmers in the wake of the recent avian influenza outbreak, according to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack through local media reports.

The USDA chief told attendees at this week’s conference on highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in Des Moines that the U.S. government has already spent $400 million to clean up birds killed in the outbreak and covering disinfecting efforts so far. Vilsack also said he plans to ask Congress to consider alternative disaster programs for the poultry industry in the event new outbreaks occur with the fall migration as many industry participants expect. Total federal spending could reach $700 million, he added.

Vilsack’s comments were presented at the opening of the two-day conference, which was closed to the media after his remarks.

The infected farms should be ready to be restocked by the end September, Vilsack added, while noting that poultry producers should have similar protections and disaster programs as livestock producers. The government is also reportedly moving forward with a new bird flu vaccine that is more effective in protecting poultry from HPAI, according to a report in the Des Moines Register.

An estimated 48 million birds were killed in the outbreak, which affected wild birds and birds on commercial farms in 15 states, according to the latest USDA figures.


 
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