WASHINGTON, D.C. – Consumers across the United States are feeling the heat as egg prices continue to soar due to the bird flu epidemic. The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced a new plan on Wednesday to address the rising costs and combat the outbreak.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins shared details of the plan during a press conference at the White House, emphasizing that it could take a few months for egg prices to stabilize. She acknowledged that prices might even rise further leading up to Easter, as eggs are in high demand during the holiday season.
The USDA’s new approach includes measures to increase biosecurity at egg-laying farms and assist farmers in recovering from losses more quickly. Rollins also mentioned the possibility of temporarily allowing egg imports to boost supply and reduce prices.
In an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal, Rollins outlined a five-pronged strategy aimed at addressing the challenges posed by the bird flu epidemic. The plan includes investing $1 billion in various initiatives, such as enhancing wildlife biosecurity measures, reimbursing farmers with affected flocks, and researching new therapeutics.
While some critics feel that the USDA’s plan falls short of being aggressive enough, Rollins defended the approach, emphasizing the importance of balancing biosecurity measures with the use of vaccines and therapeutics to protect poultry from the deadly H5N1 virus.
The use of vaccines and pharmaceuticals could potentially reduce the need for culling entire flocks of birds infected with the virus. However, experts caution that vaccines alone may not be sufficient to stop the spread of the contagion, which has resulted in the deaths of millions of birds across the country.
Farmers who have been financially impacted by the outbreak hope that the new measures will provide relief and stability to the poultry industry. As the USDA works to implement its plan, the focus remains on finding solutions that will protect both animals and consumers from the ongoing threat of the bird flu epidemic.