U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins has provided an update on the USDA’s aggressive five-pronged plan to combat highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), initially announced in February. The strategy, aimed at protecting the nation’s poultry industry, comes amid falling egg prices and increasing biosecurity efforts.
Since peaking earlier this year, wholesale egg prices have dropped 64%, and retail prices have decreased by 27%, offering some relief to consumers and producers. The USDA emphasized, however, that despite this progress, vigilance is still essential as the fall season approaches, typically a high-risk time for avian influenza outbreaks.
Biosecurity Efforts Expand Nationwide
Central to the USDA’s strategy are two voluntary, no-cost biosecurity assessments offered to poultry farmers. One focuses on wildlife risk mitigation while the other targets general biosecurity enhancements. The USDA covers the full cost of these evaluations and will also fund up to 75% of expenses for correcting identified high-risk issues.
To date, 948 biosecurity assessments have been conducted nationwide. In Michigan alone, 25 poultry operations have participated, placing the state ninth in terms of both assessment uptake and total poultry farm numbers, with 8,264 farms recorded.
Farmers interested in scheduling an assessment can email poultry.biosecurity@usda.gov or call 844-820-2234.
Four Additional Strategic Pillars
1. Financial Relief for Repopulation:
The USDA has paid out over $70 million in indemnity funds since February 27, 2025, to help producers repopulate flocks impacted by HPAI. The increase in available compensation has allowed many farmers to recover more quickly after outbreaks.
2. Regulatory Reforms to Support Industry:
Efforts to ease the regulatory load on producers include cutting unnecessary worker safety documentation and extending processing line speed waivers. The USDA has also scrapped a controversial proposal related to Salmonella regulation in raw poultry products.
3. Support for Innovation in Disease Prevention:
In May, the USDA closed applications for its HPAI Poultry Innovation Grand Challenge, which drew 417 submissions seeking a combined $793 million in funding. The proposed projects aim to advance research on flu prevention, treatments, and vaccine development. Award announcements are expected this fall.
4. Strategic Egg Imports to Stabilize Supply:
To bolster the domestic egg supply, over 40 million eggs and egg products have been imported in 2025 from countries including Brazil, Mexico, Turkey, and South Korea. Three new U.S. processing facilities — two in New York and one in Arkansas — have also been approved to handle these imports, raising the total number of authorized facilities to six.
Looking Ahead
While USDA officials are encouraged by the progress made so far, they continue to urge poultry producers of all sizes to take advantage of the resources still available. The agency emphasized that proactive biosecurity assessments remain critical to reducing HPAI risks as the fall season approaches.
