The US egg industry is reeling from a devastating avian flu outbreak, with nearly 6.5 million hens killed in just one week. Herbruck’s Poultry Ranch, the 10th largest egg producer in America, was among the hardest hit, losing 70 birds on Easter Sunday and 10,000 by Tuesday.
The USDA policy of “stamping out” the virus has been criticized as overly aggressive and unsustainable. With new strains of bird flu emerging, poultry farmers are calling for vaccination programs to be implemented across the industry.
“We’re not just talking about a few sick birds; we’re talking about a national crisis,” said a third-generation farmer who lost 6 million eggs in one week. “We need enhanced biosecurity requirements and vaccines to protect our flocks.”
The crisis has triggered skyrocketing grocery prices, with a dozen eggs now retailing at $8 or higher – up from the usual wholesale price of around $2.
Farmers are warning that the crisis will take months to recover from, with many still operating at just 70% capacity. Experts say that vaccination programs and biosecurity measures can help mitigate the crisis, but that a renewed scientific and political will is needed to address the vulnerability of the nation’s food supply.
The US government must act swiftly to implement vaccines and enhanced biosecurity requirements across the agriculture industry, or American consumers will continue to pay the price for this preventable disease.
Source: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14391213/egg-prices-shortage-farmer-avian-flu-Greg-Herbruck.html