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AFBF says HPAI is a long-term issue

The American Farm Bureau Federation says highly pathogenic avian influenza isn’t expected to go away anytime soon.

AFBF economist Bernt Nelson tells Brownfield, “That’s because the strain of this virus is carried very well by the migratory bird population,” he said. “It has the ability to mutate, adjust, and change as conditions change.”

The 2022/2023 HPAI outbreak is the largest foreign animal disease outbreak in US history.

Nelson says a viable vaccine is 18-to-24 months from being ready for distribution, but it could create costly trade disruptions.

“Countries don’t like to import vaccinated poultry,” he said. “If a vaccination protocol would be enacted today, with the way current policy sits, we would lose up to 80 of our trade partners.”

He says that would equate to a $6.2 billion loss in trade value. Poultry producers are encouraged to continue ramping up biosecurity practices to prevent farm-to-farm spread.