To address the pressure on the egg market caused by avian flu, the U.S. government has announced a $1 billion plan that includes importing 70 to 100 million eggs. Since December of last year, avian flu has broken out in several states, leading to the culling of millions of birds and driving egg prices to over $8 per dozen. The plan also aims to support farmers in protecting birds from the virus and rebuilding populations after the outbreak.
At a cabinet meeting, Trump stated, "Egg prices are a big issue, and we must take action to reduce costs and alleviate inflation."
According to U.S. Department of Agriculture data, the U.S. imported over 53 million eggs from countries such as Spain, Canada, and Italy in 2015, while Turkey exported nearly 491,000 eggs to the U.S. last year. Nevertheless, imports make up a small portion of overall U.S. egg production, as more than 8 billion eggs were produced domestically in January.
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins stated that while there are currently no plans to vaccinate birds, research on immunization will be increased, and related regulations will be relaxed.
