U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins is set to announce a new plan to address High-Path Avian Flu, criticizing past government responses. The National Chicken Council seeks FDA approval to repurpose broiler eggs while rising egg prices drive increased imports from Turkey.
Stay up-to-date on the USDA’s latest actions to combat High-Path Avian Flu (HPAI) and other related headlines and egg market trends with THE RURAL RUNDOWN by RFD-TV News.
FIVE KEY HPAI UPDATES YOU NEED TO KNOW:
A NEW APPROACH TO FIGHTING HPAI IS ON THE WAY
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins will release a new plan of attack for High-Path Avian Flu (HPAI). Officials at the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture (USDA) tell us an announcement is expected sometime this week. In the meantime, Rollins has been talking with producers and toured an egg-laying facility to see exactly what they’re up against.
NEW ADMINISTRATION PROMISES A NEW DIRECTION
Sec. Rollins was touring a Cal-Maine Foods egg-laying facility in her home state of Texas when she met with farmers. She told the crowd that the Biden Administration had failed them and that American families were now paying the price. She said President Trump understands the importance of addressing HPAI head-on and that the USDA will take steps to support farmers in the coming weeks.
NATIONAL CHICKEN COUNCIL: BROILERS ALSO LAY EGGS
The Biden Administration’s depopulation response to combat the spread of HPAI also negatively affected the U.S. egg supply. To help, the National Chicken Council wants the FDA to allow broiler eggs as food — reversing a regulation first enacted under the Obama Administration. The group has petitioned the agency to modify forcing broiler eggs to be discarded. They say the move would return around 400 million eggs to the supply chain annually and could ease consumer costs.
ALREADY-HIGH EGG PRICES EXPECTED TO KEEP RISING
According to the USDA’s Agriculture Marketing Service (AMS) Egg Markets Overview from Feb. 21, the average New York wholesale price for large eggs at the end of January was nearly $7.50 per dozen, up more than 150 percent from the previous year. The USDA expects another 20% increase in the cost of eggs this year.
TONS OF EGGS ON THE WAY FROM TURKEY (LITERALLY)
To help the situation, Turkey is exporting eggs to the United States. Reuters reports that Turkey’s Egg Producers Central Union will export around 15,000 tons (around 700 containers) of eggs to the United States to help meet consumer demand. The union said shipments began this month and will continue through this summer.
