United States President Donald Trump is reacting to criticism over record-high egg prices by announcing a $1-billion plan to deal with highly-pathogenic avian influenza that has claimed about 140 million farm birds, about 100 million of them egg layers.
When he was campaigning for the presidency in September, he promised to reduce egg prices, but since he became president they have soared because of shortages.
United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) secretary Brooke Rollins said “there’s no silver bullet to eradicating avian flu” but she announced five new measures.
The plan includes up to $500 million to help poultry producers implement “gold-standard” biosecurity measures. USDA will pay up to 75 per cent of the cost to address any identified biosecurity vulnerabilities at poultry farms.
There will be up to $400 million of increased financial relief available to farmers whose flocks are affected by avian flu, and she said USDA will assist them in receiving faster approval to begin safe operations again after an outbreak.
USDA is exploring the use of vaccines and therapeutics for laying chickens. While vaccines aren’t a stand-alone solution, USDA will provide up to $100 million in research and development of vaccines and therapeutics, to improve their efficacy and efficiency.
She said this should help reduce the need to depopulate flocks. USDA has not yet authorized the use of a vaccine. Before making a determination, USDA will consult state leaders, poultry and dairy farmers, and public-health professionals. The agency will also work with trading partners to minimize potential negative trade effects for U.S. producers and to assess public-health concerns.
USDA will take other actions to lower the price of eggs. For starters, it will remove unnecessary regulatory burdens on egg producers where possible.
This will include examining the best way to protect farmers from overly prescriptive state laws, such as California’s Proposition 12, which established minimum space requirements for egg-laying hens.
