Salena Zito: Avian Flu Is Crushing Farmers

HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania — The public’s pocketbooks have been hit hard by the skyrocketing cost of eggs in the last few months. Prices have doubled and, in some places, tripled over what they cost a year ago — if you can even find them in your local grocery store.

A dozen eggs are on average more expensive than they were a year ago in the United States. Organic eggs and cage-free eggs are available for $7. Inflation is a part of the reason, but the agriculture industry says the bigger cause is the outbreak of the avian flu here in the U.S. a year ago; nationwide, it has affected nearly 60 million birds — nearly 5 million of them here in Pennsylvania.

American consumers love eggs. Every walk of life loves eggs. It is a staple food because of its accessibility and simplicity. For some families, it may be their main source of protein. It is a key ingredient in baking, and a central component in many other dishes, such as casseroles, pasta, and pasta.

It is difficult for many people to prepare a meal with eggs, so consumers are greatly affected. We aren’t looking at the other side of this story. The equally devastating economic effects this is having upon American poultry farmers and all who work with them is another side of the story. Avian flu is a worldwide epidemic that has already claimed the lives of many poultry farmers and their families.

The spread of the avian flu can be stopped by chasing after a ghost. The virus spreads easily through wild birds — in particular migratory birds that fly across the country, spreading it along the way with droppings that infect farm animals.

Farmers need to take severe measures. It is dangerous to have any contact with the public. The consequences of even one bird being infected within six miles of the area where an outbreak is occurring can be severe.

Chris Pierce, who is part of a family of multiple-generation poultry farmers, and president of Heritage Poultry, Annville, stated that he has 120 Pennsylvania poultry farms that rely on his management services. These services include veterinarian nutritionists as well as management services that help to improve the productivity and health of the farmer’s flocks.

“The biosecurity measures all of the farmers infected or not, like not having visitors on your properties — covering your workers from head to toe in bio suits and constantly and meticulously disinfecting equipment, clothing, buildings, walls, tires — is expensive and mind-numbing,” He stated. “Even the simplest thing such as a fertilizer truck or a delivery from UPS or Amazon or your children’s school bus can track the disease onto a farm and destroy their flocks, their income and their family’s legacy.”

“We’ve lost two of our family farms out of the 120 with the avian influenza in April of 2022,” He stated. “If you are an area poultry farmer, your focus is on keeping birds healthy and caring for them because the birds cannot care for themselves. So that involves making sure all of the equipment in the barns, the feeders, the water system, the ventilation, the lighting systems is all safe because as an egg farmer, your No. 1 priority is the health and safety of your birds. It’s your income.”

Pierce states that these are things that a poultry farmer can control. “When a disease you cannot control hits your farm, like the avian influenza, that can happen when there are 30,000 snow geese flying over your farm that have feces coming out. That’s when the uncertainty starts to unravel their lives and livelihoods,” He stated.

Pierce also mentions neighbor’s bird feeders, bird baths, homesteaders and families who buy chickens to save money but don’t follow the same strict precautions as farmers. These could inadvertently spread the avian flu.

Pierce said that farmers who are dependent on their community and social gatherings, such as school functions, church services, and festivals for their emotional well-being have felt isolated. Many of these farmers refuse to leave the farm because they fear that they will infect their flocks by bringing a piece of dirt or crumbs on their shoes or tires.

“Then there is this constant fear and really a sense of hopelessness that despite all of the precautions, all of the economic and emotional toll, all of the hardships that this epidemic has had on poultry farmers, even more birds are going to die this upcoming season,” Pierce said.

Pierce is right to be concerned about the anxiety, uncertainty, and fear farmers experience. These emotional impacts are seldom discussed in the farming community and our culture, even though ranchers and farmers are nearly twice as likely as other occupations to commit suicide, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Pierce stated that farmers are often affected by events outside their control. “The weather, politics, global markets, commodities, trade, and the whims of newest food fad that influences the American consumer,” He elaborated. “The avian flu just adds to that uncertainty.”

Because of the precautions taken by local poultry farmers to prevent infection, Pennsylvania’s poultry farmers, which number in the thousands, were not represented at the Pennsylvania Farm Show for the first time since recent memory.

Chris Herr is the executive Director of PennAg Industries. This trade group represents more than 500 farms and agribusinesses across Pennsylvania. He stated that he spent many days volunteering to euthanize infected poultry. “It takes a toll on you, having to senselessly kill these birds,” He said that he had spoken to many farm families who didn’t know if they could take another year.

“The emotional impact of this isn’t just the killing of the poultry; it is also not being able to leave your farm. You know that fear is gripping to someone who understands that one trip to the store in town and a dropping from a migrant bird or something airborne might infect your entire livelihood.”

Governor-elect Josh Shapiro (D-Pa.) was seen recently at the Pennsylvania Farm Show with Russell Redding, his newly appointed agriculture secretary. Redding is a Wolf heirloom. Both men agreed that the issue remains a top priority as they head into the new governor’s office.

“There is the cost to the consumer, which is a big concern, but there is also the concerns of our poultry farmers that we our making our priority,” Shapiro.

Pierce stated that Redding and the state legislature did an amazing job last Spring. “What they did and the challenges they had were handled very well. I am concerned as we head into what looks to be yet another year of this avian influenza this spring — can they do it again?” said Pierce.

It is expected that the flu outbreak will continue this spring in Pennsylvania. Pierce stated that 20 percent of all the egg testing in the country was done in Pennsylvania’s laboratories.

“Our state is the No. 1 state in the country in USDA organic poultry,” Herr. “This is an important industry, and it’s a point of pride for a lot of these farmers whose family has been doing this for two, three, four generations.”

Pierce claims that Pennsylvania has thousands of poultry farms. Some farms are smaller than 30 acres, while others are larger. “There are a lot of niche markets in Pennsylvania,” He stated. “We need to be able to have all of them communicate with each other. One outlier can take down an entire industry.”

Salena Zito works as a CNN Political Analyst and as a Washington Examiner staff reporter. She travels from Main Street all the way to the Beltway and every place in between, using shoe-leather journalism. You can learn more about Salena or read her past columns at the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

Photo credit: AndreasGoellner Pixabay

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