U.S. government to invest US$1B to combat avian flu, lower egg prices

USA – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently unveiled a US$1 billion initiative to combat highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), aiming to protect the poultry industry and stabilise egg prices.

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins outlined the strategy on 26th February 2025, which dedicates US$500 million to biosecurity measures, US$400 million in financial aid for farmers, and US$100 million toward vaccine research and regulatory adjustments.

To curb the spread of the virus, the USDA is expanding its Wildlife Biosecurity Assessments, initially prioritising egg-layer facilities. 

With wild birds responsible for 83% of HPAI cases, farms implementing stringent biosecurity protocols have experienced significantly fewer outbreaks.

As part of this effort, the USDA will offer free biosecurity audits to all affected farms. Those experiencing outbreaks will need to address security weaknesses to qualify for future financial assistance. 

Additionally, 20 epidemiologists will be deployed to advise producers on best practices for reducing infection risks.

To further support biosecurity improvements, the government will cover up to 75% of related costs, with a total investment of US$500 million.

Farmers forced to cull their flocks due to HPAI outbreaks will continue receiving compensation, with new programs being developed to accelerate repopulation efforts. 

Regulatory adjustments and vaccine development

The USDA is also exploring ways to increase egg supply while easing regulatory hurdles for farmers and consumers in collaboration with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Efforts are also underway to develop strategies that minimise large-scale bird culling during outbreaks.

To address regional price disparities, USDA officials will work to educate lawmakers and the public on how factors like state regulations have contributed to higher egg prices in states such as California.

The announcement comes amid continued HPAI outbreaks across the U.S., with new cases emerging in both commercial and backyard poultry farms.

Ohio has reported infections on four additional layer farms and three turkey farms, while Pennsylvania has confirmed five new affected sites.

Missouri is dealing with outbreaks at a turkey farm and a broiler farm, and in New York, live bird markets in Queens, the Bronx, and Brooklyn have been temporarily shut down following positive HPAI cases.

Smaller poultry operations in Louisiana, Connecticut, and Washington are also seeing cases, prompting officials to urge heightened preventive measures ahead of the spring wild bird migration.

Since HPAI was first detected in U.S. poultry in early 2022, more than 157.7 million birds have died from the disease or related culling efforts.

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