April 10, 2023

Pennsylvania state budgets over US$126 million towards bird flu recovery

Josh Shapiro, Governor of Pennsylvania state, US, has proposed a budget of over US$126 million for initiatives to support the state's US$7.1 billion poultry sector, as highly pathogenic bird flu spreads throughout the world.

Penneslvania reported its first case of bird flu in April last year. 31 commercial flocks and 36 backyard flocks have been affected in the state, totalling 4.7 million birds that have been culled. Four commercial flocks, 20 backyard flocks, and more than 130,000 birds have been affected in the past month.

More than 421,000 tests have been performed by the Pennsylvania Animal Diagnostic Lab System in its three state-funded labs, and hundreds of additional farms have had samples taken by a team of about 700 poultry technicians who have received training and certification.

The proposed budget allocates US$25 million to the recovery fund, which aims to bridge the gap between federal indemnity funds and the actual losses incurred by poultry businesses. Additionally, US$6 million will be allocated to support the Pennsylvania Animal Diagnostic Lab System and reimburse poultry businesses for supplies needed by privately employed, trained technicians to take samples and confirm or rule out suspected infections.

The budget also includes US$1 million for the PA Centre for Poultry Excellence at PennAg Industries, which will provide training, equipment, and workforce to help tackle the current crisis.

The Agricultural College Land Scrip Fund will receive $US58.9 million, a US$1.2 million increase from the previous budget. This fund supports veterinary research at Penn State and the work of Penn State Extension, which offers training, expertise, and direct support to poultry producers to help them understand biosecurity measures and effectively protect their flocks.

The University of Pennsylvania's Veterinary Activities and Centre for Infectious Disease will receive over US$34 million to support its work in disease detection, prevention, and response. Over US$2 million will be allocated for agricultural research, including animal health research, to help the Pennsylvania agriculture sector tackle various challenges, including virus control and source-tracing for bird flu.

-      ­Pet Food Processing