USA continues to battle avian flu

May 25, 2015

As many as 179 detections have been reported

The United States is currently battling one of, if not the worst outbreak of avian flu the country has ever seen.

The numbers according to the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) are staggering.

From the time the first avian flu detection was reported on December 19, 2014 to the latest detection reported on May 21, 2015, there have been a total of 179 detections reported, affecting 40,721,073 chickens, turkeys and other poultry.

Young turkeys

Due to the outbreak, close to 30 countries have placed some sort of restrictions on American poultry exports. China, South Korea, South Africa and Thailand have flat out banned all American poultry exports for the time being.

The outbreak of avian flu appears to be the worst in Iowa, where more than 25 million birds are affected, causing Governor Terry Branstad to declare a state of emergency in Iowa.

Minnesota is America’s top turkey producer and it’s estimated the impact of this outbreak could be felt at Thanksgiving.

Impacts of the avian flu are being felt right across the board. Farmers are not only dealing with the sick birds, but also the impact its having on egg production.

In May of 2014, it would cost consumers $1.40 for a dozen large white eggs, compared to $2.20 on May 21, 2015.

Tell us your thoughts on the current outbreak of avian flu in the United States. Are you worried about the impacts it could have going forward?

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.