Feds Quadruple Relief For Farms With Avian Flu

May 07, 2015

The federal government will spend another $330 million in emergency funds to respond to the outbreak of avian influenza that’s slammed the poultry industry in Iowa and Minnesota.

Some $84.5 million previously was dedicated to sanitizing infected areas and compensating producers who lost flocks, but Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack requested four times that much after the disease spread to 14 states in five months, forcing farmers to cull 24 million laying chickens and turkeys, according to USDA.

Meanwhile, Hormel was forced to lay off workers at a processing plant in Minnesota because they don’t have a supply of birds. Jennie-O Turkey will temporarily lay off 233 workers effective May 26 , but hasn’t said when the plant will be running again.

"Our intent is to have everyone come back to work when bird numbers return to normal levels," Randy Vergin, manager of the Jennie-O Turkey Store plant in Faribault, Minnesota, said in a statement.

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Video: Environmental Effects on Sow Fertility - Dr. Isabela Bez

In this special episode celebrating International Women's Day of The Swine it Podcast Show Canada, we bring Dr. Isabela Bez, a veterinarian and PhD student in Brazil, who explains how temperature and light regimes influence sow reproductive performance. She discusses seasonal infertility, climate adaptation, and why environmental monitoring inside barns is critical for herd efficiency. The episode highlights practical management strategies to reduce reproductive losses and improve outcomes. Listen now on all major platforms. "Environmental factors are actually very important on sow reproduction, and sometimes these are the factors that producers tend to not pay attention." Meet the guest: Dr. Isabela Bez / isabela-cristina-cola%c3%a7o-bez-1753381b0 is a veterinarian and PhD student in Animal Science at Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná (PUCPR), Brazil. Her work focuses on swine reproduction, nutrition, and animal welfare, with strong expertise in environmental effects on sow performance. She collaborates with international farms and research groups to improve reproductive efficiency through applied science.