U.S. Senators Want USDA More Focused on Dairy and Turkey for HPAI

A bipartisan group of U.S. senators wants the USDA to remember that highly pathogenic avian influenza is not just a threat to millions of chickens. Dairy cattle and turkeys also deserve consideration in prevention and remediation plans, the senators contend in their letter to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins.  

U.S. senators who wrote the letter to Rollins:

• Senator Amy Klobuchar (D) Minnesota

• Senator Chuck Grassley (R) Iowa

• Senator Mike Rounds (R) South Dakota

• Senator Elissa Slotkin (D) Michigan  

“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 wrote. 

Their letter 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.”

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