One Problem, Different Issues
With California Ag Today, I am Haylie Shipp. This is the Ag Information Network.
The H5N1 virus continues to be a story in the dairy industry and the poultry industry it originated from. Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack says the virus has differing effects on each…
“On the poultry side, we're dealing with a virus that kills, so it's relatively simple. You depopulate the virus-stricken flock, you disinfect the facility, you wait a bit, and then the farmer gets back in business. That is not the case with reference to dairy. The good news is that cows survive. They get sick for a period of time, a short period of time, and they recover. Maybe their production is impacted a bit, but for all intents and purposes, they get back to normal, and that's a good thing.”
He says it’s important for the public to know that drinking milk is safe and says his agency has taken steps to control the virus…
“We've provided a series of financial payments to help farmers develop a plan of enhanced biosecurity and implement that plan to do consistent and ongoing testing, providing help and assistance with the veterinarian costs that are associated with sick cows. We're making sure that as samples are taken, farmers are not incurring additional expenses for the mailing of those samples. We're making sure that, as they dispose of milk, they do so in a safe way. If there are costs associated with that, we want to be in a position to help.”
Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack
