President Donald Trump has been criticized by New York Governor Kathy Hochul over rising chicken costs, alleging that prices have soared actually higher since he took business. ” Since he was elected, the price of eggs is going up yet higher”, Hochul remarked.
Her remarks come as buyers and the agriculture sector are still be concerned about rising chicken prices, with authorities in Washington scrambling to blame the business.
” Their personal elected officials betrayed them; on day one, the Trump presidency promised that the rates would drop. If you can get eggs in New York City, do you know what they cost? she stated in an interview with MSNBC.
” It went up 40 % since Trump was elected- instead of going down they are going up even higher”, she added.
As the Trump presidency outlined its plan on Wednesday to fight bird flu and lower rising prices, the US Agriculture Department predicted that chicken costs would increase by more than 40 % in 2025.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced an additional$ 1 billion investment in research, farmer aid, and biosecurity measures, in addition to the$ 2 billion that has already been spent since the outbreak started in 2022.
The continuing bird flu outbreaks has led to the slaughter of more than 166 million birds, mostly egg-laying birds, driving chicken prices to an all-time great of$ 4.95 per hundred. Since the beginning of this year alone, over 30 million egg-laying chicken have been lost.
What steps do producers take to combat bird flu?
Egg and chicken farmers have taken strict biodiversity measures since the disastrous 2015 outbreak, including requiring workers to wash their hands and take a shower before entering barns, washing equipment and moving equipment, and preventing exotic birds from spreading the virus.
However, the very deadly nature of parrot fever remains a problem. The USDA is currently looking at the most successful protective measures and remediating flaws in land biodiversity programs.
Expect higher chicken prices to rise even further.
The USDA has revised its projections, now forecasting a staggering 41.1 % increase in egg prices this year—double last month’s prediction of 20 %.
In some locations, consumers are now paying over$ 12 per dozen. Since the outbreak began, prices have more than doubled, costing consumers an estimated$ 1.4 billion in 2023 alone, according to University of Arkansas economists.
Does the Trump program lower prices?
Rollins claimed that buyers would need to wait before noticing shifts in wholesale prices. The process involves numerous time-consuming steps: afflicted farms must eliminate dying birds, completely clean their facilities, and start raising fresh flocks. Nonetheless, she remained optimistic about the plan’s effect on prices.
” It’s going to take a while to get through, I think in the next month or two, but hopefully by summertime”, Rollins said.
Business leaders have welcomed the government’s efforts. The focus on improving security and exploring vaccine growth as a long-term solution, according to Emily Metz, president of the American Egg Board.
Where is the cash going?
According to the Associated Press, the Trump administration’s plans to address the continuing bird virus problems and soaring ovum rates includes a$ 1 billion investment aimed at strengthening farm security, providing financial relief to affected farmers, and investigating potential long-term options.
- $ 500 million may be set aside to assist farmers in putting in stricter security measures to stop outbreaks in the future.
- Farmers who have lost sheep as a result of avian flu will receive more funding of$ 400 million to enable them to replenish more rapidly.
- $ 100 million will be directed toward researching and developing possible vaccines and therapeutics for chicken, as well as reviewing pet welfare requirements such as California’s voter-approved cage-free chicken necessity, which the management considers restrictive.
In an effort to contain the outbreak, the USDA has already made a$ 1.2 billion payment to farmers for the birds that had to be killed. The new aid package will continue to support these donations while promoting flock repopulation.
Importing eggs is unlikely to have a significant impact.
The administration is negotiating to import 70 to 100 million eggs in the upcoming months in an effort to stabilize supply. These imports are unlikely to have a significant impact on the market because US farms produced 7.57 billion table eggs last month alone.
The Trump administration has suggested that vaccines might be able to reduce the number of birds killed in upcoming outbreaks. However, no poultry vaccines have been fully approved for widespread use in the U. S. industry. For the most part, large-scale farms can’t afford to buy individual injections for each bird in the current prototypes. Additionally, vaccinated birds could pose a risk to exports, as many countries impose trade restrictions on vaccinated poultry.
Hochul, who has been vocal about her criticism of the Trump administration’s earlier comments on X, wrote:” New York House Republicans are going all in against their own constituents and the health care they rely on. This is about your grandparents staying in nursing homes, your parents getting insulin, and your loved ones getting cancer. Republicans will have to answer for it.
