Ernst applauds USDA’s $1 billion investment to combat bird flu

WASHINGTON — US Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins has pledged to invest $1 billion to combat the spread of bird flu. Rollins says the USDA will spend up to $500 million to provide free biosecurity audits to farms and $400 million to increase payment rates to farmers who need to kill their chickens due to bird flu.

Iowa Senator Joni Ernst thanks Rollins for making the investment.  “I want to thank USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins for her extraordinary leadership during this time, and a special thank you for incorporating so many of my ideas and combatting HPAI into the USDA plan that she announced this week.”

Ernst applauds Rollins’ work in the first few weeks of her tenure as the new Ag Secretary.  “Again, thank you to Secretary Rollins. You have stepped into the fire already with so many issues that are really pressing upon our producers and those involved in agriculture. You are a champion.”

As part of the plan, the administration plans to increase imports and decrease exports of eggs to boost domestic supply and combat record high egg prices.