Status Report Provided on Avian Flu Strategy

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins has provided an update on USDA’s avian influenza strategy. It includes $100 million in research funding. “USDA will prioritize proposals that address one or more of the following: developing novel therapeutics to address HPAI in poultry. Second, research to further understand risk pathways of avian influenza for producers and to inform improved biosecurity in response to strategy, better understanding those risk pathways and finally development of novel vaccines to protect poultry from HPAI while promoting biosecurity will all be part of the research funding opportunity.” The USDA plan also strengthens biosecurity measures, expedites financial relief to support faster repopulation and reduces regulatory burden on farmers. The Agriculture Department is also exploring ways to reduce depopulation of affected flocks. Rollins said meaningful progress has been made with wholesale egg prices down 50 percent from late February.