The current High Pathogenic Avian Flu outbreak has broken records since it began more than a year ago.
U.S. ag officials have spent $670 million dollars to try to get it under control. According to APHIS, the majority has gone to compensation for depopulated birds and eggs. The rest has gone to culling and disposal, personnel, state agreements, and field costs.
To date, HPAI has taken nearly 59 million birds and caused countless losses for producers.
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The USDA says the framework is about “ending abusive government overreach” and “protecting farmers, families, and private property.”
Farm numbers still favor small operations, but production, resilience, and risk management are increasingly concentrated among fewer, larger farms.
The USDA opened a new sterile fly-dispersal facility at Moore Air Base in South Texas to prevent a potential outbreak of New World screwworm and protect the small U.S. cattle herd.
The agreement formalizes coordination between the two departments to address security concerns affecting U.S. agriculture.
Strong corn exports offer support, while soybeans and wheat remain weighed down by ample global supplies, according to the USDA’s latest WASDE report for February.
Higher livestock prices reflect resilient demand, even as disease and herd shifts reshape 2026 supply expectations.
