Ag Daily As U.S. poultry producers face a sharp resurgence of highly pathogenic avian influenza, a bipartisan coalition in Congress is urging the U.S. Department of Agriculture to immediately restore full surveillance, reporting, and coordination efforts.
The push comes amid more than 90 new detections in the last 30 days and over 1.6 million birds infected, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture data.
The letter, is led by Reps. Jim Costa (D-Calif.) and Sarah McBride (D-Del.) and warns that weakened federal monitoring, coupled with the recent government shutdown and staffing reductions, has left farmers without the timely information they need as the virus rapidly spreads across both backyard and commercial operations.
Throughout the country, poultry growers are facing yet another year of economic and logistical repercussions caused by HPAI-a threat that began in 2022 and has since become almost annual. This is especially true for main production areas like California’s San Joaquin Valley, where the poultry and egg industries are responsible for over 120,000 jobs and contribute almost $121 billion to the nation’s economy.
“We write to express our deep concern about the recent rise in avian influenza — a now seasonal epidemic impacting poultry farmers and driving up grocery prices across the United States … And as we approach the holiday season, it is concerning that without avian influenza surveillance at full capacity, families across America may eat without traditionally American-produced centerpieces on their holiday dinner tables,” the members wrote.