USDA announces $100M funding for bird flu research

The U.S. Department of Agriculture will fund research projects that explore the highly pathogenic avian influenza in poultry, as well as novel vaccines and therapeutics to treat the bird flu, according to a Thursday announcement.

The $100 million investment is part Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins’ $1 billion plan to combat avian influenza and inflated egg prices.

Rollins, in a conference call with poultry and farm stakeholders, said the agency has made “significant progress” on its five-pronged approach to the bird flu issue, especially with a decrease in the wholesale price of eggs.

“While we’re noting today that prices are exponentially down, and we’re really, really encouraged by that, there is always a possibility those prices could tick back up,” Rollins said, noting the increased egg demand associated with the upcoming Easter holiday.

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The USDA egg market report from March 14 shows a “sharp downward trajectory” of wholesale prices for loose eggs, with prices dropping from more than $8 per dozen in late February to $4.15 per dozen for white large shell eggs.

Rollins said the department confirmed agreements with South Korea and the west-Asian nation of Türkiye to provide temporary increased egg imports to the country, which was also part of her plan. Rollins said the department is in talks with another country that is ready to import a “significant” amount of eggs.

Biosecurity audits

Enhanced biosecurity audits and upgrades were another part of the USDA plan to contain the bird flu.

The department’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, or APHIS, announced Wednesday an expansion of biosecurity assessments and audits to include commercial poultry producers not affected by the bird flu, as a preventive measure.

Facilities with affected flocks will also be subject to biosecurity audits if they wish to remain eligible for indemnity payments to restock birds. This is per an interim final rule established in December 2024, which was recently reopened for public comment.

The highest biosecurity concerns identified by the audits will be eligible for a 75 percent cost share with USDA to make the improvements.

The research funding announced Thursday will prioritize projects that research the bird flu in poultry generally and analyze effective biosecurity strategies. “Our pilot programs have proven that biosecurity is the most important thing that our farmers can do to protect our flocks against the disease, at least right now,” Rollins said.

Rollins emphasized there currently are no authorized vaccines for the bird flu, but the funding would go to projects researching a vaccine and its use.

“I do look forward to this next process of learning more, getting more research done and perhaps seeing what makes sense for the country moving forward, once that is concluded,” Rollins said.

Rollins said she has been in communication with U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and other departments about preventing the spread to humans and limiting impact on farmers. Kennedy recently suggested farmers allow the virus to spread in a flock, rather than culling it after a detection, to see which birds survive.

Rollins left the call before taking questions, but staff members declined to share if her conversations with Kennedy were about this approach.

Research projects that look into therapeutic interventions for infected birds will also be prioritized for funding. For-profit organizations, states, universities and livestock producer organizations are able to apply for funding through May 19.

The current outbreak has impacted more than 168 million commercial and backyard birds. The most recent Iowa outbreak, reported March 14, resulted in the culling of 400,000 pullets in Buena Vista County.

This article first appeared in the Iowa Capital Dispatch.