Trending
WASHINGTON -- U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins recently provided an update on the U.S. Department of Agriculture's comprehensive, five-pronged strategy announced in February to combat Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI). After reaching a record high due to the Biden Administration's lack of action, wholesale egg prices have now dropped 64%, with retail prices falling 27% from their peak earlier this year. We must remain diligent, and egg farmers and producers can continue to utilize USDA resources to conduct biosecurity assessments before the fall.
"When President Trump entered office, the cost of eggs was at a record high, seriously denting consumers' wallets after years of awful inflation. On my first day as Secretary, we got to work to implement a five-pronged strategy to improve biosecurity on the farm and lower egg prices on grocery store shelves. The plan has worked, and families are seeing relief with egg prices driving food deflation in the April Consumer Price Index," said Secretary Rollins. "While we are proud that over 900 biosecurity assessments have been conducted to date, resources remain available, and we are urging poultry farmers of all sizes to get your assessments done today before a potentially challenging fall."
Completed biosecurity assessments in Pennsylvania: 144
Total number of poultry farms in Pennsylvania: 10,361
• USDA is covering the full cost of the assessments as well as supporting part of the costs for biosecurity improvements on farms to help strengthen the biosecurity of the nation's poultry flock.
• USDA offers two free, voluntary biosecurity assessments to help farmers get ahead of any potential HPAI threats. One focuses on wildlife risk mitigation and another on general biosecurity improvements.
• Wildlife Biosecurity Assessments have been very successful in safeguarding farms from the spread of HPAI from wild birds. These additional safety measures have proven to minimize flu cases. Biosecurity Incentives Assessments help poultry producers identify where they can best focus their safeguards against avian flu.