The US is stepping up egg imports and boosting support to chicken farmers to combat its worst-ever outbreak of avian flu that’s sent egg prices to a record of over $8 a dozen.
The nation will look to import between 70 million and 100 million eggs during the next month or two, the US Department of Agriculture said Wednesday as it announced a five-part plan to address bird flu. The Trump administration’s strategy also involves helping farmers protect birds from catching the virus and quickly rebuilding populations after chickens are killed or culled.
“One of the key issues facing America today are the egg prices, and the president has made it one of his priorities from minute one that we bring those prices down for consumers,” Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said.
Read More: Why We’re Still Shelling Out More for Eggs: QuickTake
Millions of birds have been killed just since December as the outbreak hit egg-laying farms from Iowa to California to North Carolina, prompting grocery stores to limit purchases and restaurants to add surcharges.
While the US isn’t ready to start vaccinating birds, Rollins said it will increase research into immunization and roll back regulations to help cut costs.
“A lot of the industry believes, on the egg-laying side, that we should, but it isn’t a proven vaccine yet,” Rollins said. “So I was hesitant in rolling anything out that would require more vaccinations without understanding first, exactly, would it solve the problem.”
