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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