Four senators directed a letter to US Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, asking that the US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) plan to combat highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) encompasses not only chickens but also turkeys and dairy cattle.
Senators Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Mike Rounds (R-SD) and Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) sent the letter on April 9, a little over a month after Rollins rolled out the USDA’s $1 billion bird flu mitigation plan. The five-pronged approach sought to lessen the spread of HPAI while stabilizing the egg market after prices reached consecutive record highs. Less than a month into the plan, Rollins announced significant improvements, including a drop in wholesale egg prices of nearly 50%.
In their letter, the senators thanked Rollins for her commitment to addressing HPAI as a top priority. Read more