WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, and Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Mike Rounds (R-SD), and Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) are pressing U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins to broaden the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) strategy for managing avian flu to include measures for turkeys and dairy herds.
“We are writing with regard to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s February 26, 2025 avian flu strategic plan,” wrote the Senators. “Since the beginning of the outbreak, the virus has impacted more than 160 million birds, including more than 18.6 million turkeys, and nearly 1,000 dairy herds across the country.”
“While the plan did include shared priorities to continue combating this disease – including the expansion of relief to farmers dealing with outbreaks among their livestock and investment in research – we encourage the plan to include turkeys and dairy cows,” the Senators continued. “Since avian flu has impacted a wide array of animals we believe any biosecurity and vaccine measures, including discussions with foreign trading partners, offered by the Department should be available to all livestock producers dealing with avian flu, including turkey and dairy producers.”
The full letter is available here and below.
Dear Secretary Rollins,
We are writing with regard to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s February 26, 2025 avian flu strategic plan. Since the beginning of the outbreak, the virus has impacted more than 160 million birds, including more than 18.6 million turkeys, and nearly 1,000 dairy herds across the country. We appreciated your commitment to make addressing avian flu a top priority during your confirmation process and believe this strategic plan is an important first step in this effort. We also appreciate your efforts to address turkeys and dairy cows in response to the outbreak. We encourage you to ensure that the implementation of the February 26, 2025 strategy addresses turkeys, dairy cows, and wildlife.
While the plan did include shared priorities to continue combating this disease – including the expansion of relief to farmers dealing with outbreaks among their livestock and investment in research – we encourage the plan to include turkeys and dairy cows. Since avian flu has impacted a wide array of animals we believe any biosecurity and vaccine measures, including discussions with foreign trading partners, offered by the Department should be available to all livestock producers dealing with avian flu, including turkey and dairy producers.
We request an update on the Department’s plan for ensuring turkey producers, dairy and other impacted livestock and wildlife species are covered under the plan. In addition, we request the Department develop a strategy and timeline for working with foreign trading partners to ensure potential vaccination of avian flu in poultry and cattle does not disrupt trade and that the Department provide information to Congress about the expected timeline for conditional approval of an avian flu vaccine for dairy cattle.
Thank you for your attention to this matter. We look forward to your response.
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