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Avian flu has cost producers nearly 1.6 billion

Poultry industry economist Tom Elam estimates that losses due to avian influenza have cost egg and turkey producers nearly 1.6 billion dollars.

Elam testified Tuesday at a Senate Ag Committee hearing on avian flu.

“My preliminary estimate of producer direct loss arising from the destroyed turkey and egg production is about 1.57 billion dollars—530 million for the turkey industry and a little over one billion for layers,” Elam said.

And if avian flu were to infect the broiler industry?

“If we get an infected broiler farm in the state of Georgia or North Carolina or Alabama, and that starts to spread like wildfire like this one, the losses will be, in order of magnitude, larger than we’re talking about here today,” Elam said.

Elam urged the committee to make sure that USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has adequate funding to deal with a possible re-emergence and spread of avian flu this fall.

AUDIO: Dr. Tom Elam at Senate Ag Committee avian flu hearing 7-7-2015