As egg prices soar to record highs, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke L. Rollins announced the government’s plan to import eggs from various countries as a short-term solution. In an op-ed, she detailed a $1 billion strategy to combat bird flu, which includes $500 million for enhancing biosecurity among egg producers, $400 million in relief for affected farmers, and $100 million for vaccine research. While the U.S. hasn’t authorized a poultry vaccine due to export concerns, Rollins indicated ongoing discussions with countries like Canada and Turkey. Consumers can expect rising egg prices until Easter, but a decrease may follow by summer.
With egg prices hitting unprecedented levels, the federal government is exploring the possibility of importing eggs from other nations, stated Brooke L. Rollins, the agriculture secretary, on Wednesday.
In an interview on Fox News, Ms. Rollins mentioned that discussions are underway with multiple countries to facilitate immediate egg imports as a temporary fix. Beyond importing eggs, the department plans to allocate up to $1 billion towards a comprehensive five-part strategy to tackle bird flu, as outlined in an op-ed she published in The Wall Street Journal on Wednesday.
This approach includes up to $500 million in funding to improve biosecurity protocols among egg producers, $400 million in financial assistance for farmers affected by the flu, and $100 million earmarked for research and development of vaccines and therapeutics. The Agriculture Department has yet to approve a vaccine for poultry due to concerns that it could jeopardize American exports.
Additionally, the department is “assessing the best strategies to shield farmers from excessively restrictive state regulations,” Ms. Rollins noted, referencing a California animal welfare law that has come under fire from business organizations.
Although Ms. Rollins did not specify which nations would be supplying egg imports, it is important to highlight that Canada, a focus of President Trump’s trade measures, is the largest source of egg imports to the United States. The Egg Producers Central Union in Turkey recently declared plans to export approximately 420 million eggs to the U.S., which is less than 5 percent of the total egg production of about 8.8 billion in the U.S. for January, according to the latest Agriculture Department estimates.
Ms. Rollins indicated that consumers should anticipate a continued rise in egg prices as Easter approaches due to increased demand, but expressed hope that prices will “hopefully” drop by summer.