USDA is spending more money on fighting High Pathogenic Avian Influenza, now and in the future.
It is pulling more than $500 million from the Commodity Credit Corporation, which includes indemnity payments and payments to producers for depopulation and disposal.
USDA Chief Veterinarian Rosemary Sifford tells us how the money will also be used to improve biosecurity.
“We’re hoping to also use some of this funding to help us in our preparation and building our capacity to respond to these events through things like some biosecurity training and some additional work on developing templates for biosecurity audits and the materials to help producers improve their biosecurity. Our Defend the Flock campaign is a centerpiece of our resources for producers, lots of activities and information available online to help producers of all types, look at their biosecurity, look at their management practices and help them to learn to use very strong tools to avoid disease introduction of all kinds, but particularly High Path Avian Influenza.”
The latest data from APHIS shows the current outbreak has affected 836 flocks in 47 states. Nearly 59 million birds have been culled.
