By Blake Jackson
Governor Josh Shapiro and Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding met with farmers, poultry producers, agricultural leaders, and lawmakers to address the recent spike in Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) cases across the Commonwealth.
During a roundtable discussion, state officials outlined the Shapiro Administration’s expanded and aggressive strategy to contain the outbreak and support affected producers.
Pennsylvania has lost more than 7.6 million birds since the beginning of the year. In response, Governor Shapiro recently directed state agencies to increase staffing, enhance testing capacity, and strengthen coordination with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and industry partners to curb the spread of the virus.
Pennsylvania remains the only state with a dedicated HPAI Recovery Fund to help poultry operations recover from losses. Since 2022, $75 million has been allocated to the fund, with $59.4 million still available.
So far, 302 poultry businesses have received $15.6 million in grants to offset losses, maintain operations, and improve biosecurity measures. Among them, 150 farms have implemented enhanced disease-prevention upgrades.
“Pennsylvania’s farmers are the backbone of our communities and I know many are worried about the recent rise in HPAI cases,” said Governor Shapiro.
“My Administration is working around the clock to expand our rapid response efforts and mitigate this surge. We are deploying more personnel, expanding our testing ability, and coordinating closely with the federal government and our industry partners to ensure we have our poultry farmers' backs every step of the way.”
The discussion took place at the PennAg Industries Rapid Response Center in Lancaster, a hub supporting the state’s $7.1 billion poultry industry. Secretary Redding emphasized the human and financial strain producers face, stating, “This center and the skilled, ready, and dedicated response team have been indispensable to our ability to respond swiftly and effectively to avian influenza,” adding that recovery grants and the Farmer Mental Health Hotline remain available to support affected producers.
State officials report that 105 personnel, including veterinarians, National Guard members, USDA staff, and industry representatives, are now engaged in mitigation efforts, alongside expanded laboratory testing across Pennsylvania.
Photo Credit: gettyimages-branex
Categories: Pennsylvania, Livestock, Poultry