Just a few weeks ago, USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins announced a $1 Billion plan stop the spread of bird flu, protect the U.S. poultry industry, and lower egg prices.
Dr. Bret Marsh, the Dean of Purdue University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, says he appreciates the efforts by USDA and Secretary Rollins to bolster the resources to battle the Bird Flu virus. Marsh shared his thoughts with Hoosier Ag Today during the “Taste of Shelby County Agriculture” banquet last week at Horseshoe Racing & Casino in Shelbyville.
“The poultry industry is a huge industry for our state,” says Marsh. “Indiana is number one in commercial ducks, number two in eggs, and number three in pounds of turkey produced, so the poultry industry is a major contributor to our ag economy. I appreciate the Secretary’s efforts to bring additional resources to this battle—and that’s what it is it’s really a battle as this virus has marched not across only our state, but across the country.”
In addition to USDA’s plan to fight the virus, Tony Wesner, CEO of Rose Acre Farms based in Seymour, recently testified before the Senate Ag Committee that a Bird Flu vaccine should also be implemented within the poultry industry.
Marsh says the Bird Flu vaccine has only been approved for use in the U.S. with the endangered California condor.
“One of the challenges with using the vaccine in poultry has been because of the broiler industry. The use of vaccines in the poultry population in the United States would limit that trade in the international community for broiler product, which is 25 percent of their production, so it’d be a major hit to one segment of the poultry industry if we were to use the vaccine.”
Marsh says he’s hopeful that USDA and the poultry industry can work together to overcome many of the barriers that exist in curbing the spread of Bird Flu.
“We need these tools in the toolbox,” says Dr. Marsh. “We need to make sure that research is in place so that the vaccine that we’re using matches the virus that were dealing with. Of course, it’s a major effort to get birds vaccinated in these populations, but we can find those solutions. I appreciate the [USDA] Secretary’s approach to enhance dollars for research, to enhance dollars for vital security because we need all of these tools.”
As part of USDA’s $1 Billion strategy to fight Bird Flu, $500 million is being planned for additional biosecurity measures at U.S. poultry farms, $400 million will be used for economic relief for affected farmers, and $100 million is planned for research of the virus—including the research of vaccines.
CLICK BELOW to hear Hoosier Ag Today’s full conversation with Dr. Bret Marsh, Dean of Purdue University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, during the “Taste of Shelby County Agriculture” banquet last week in Shelbyville:
