CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KGAN) — Bird flu has been confirmed in a second herd of dairy cattle in Iowa, this time in Sioux County. The news comes just a couple days after authorities announced the state’s first case of highly pathogenic avian influenza detected in a dairy herd in O’Brien County.
Now, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship is requesting resources from the United States Department of Agriculture and announcing additional response measures.
Gov. Kim Reynolds issued the following statement on Friday:
“Earlier today Secretary Naig informed me about the plan to test dairy cows in areas where cases of HPAI have been confirmed in poultry flocks. I appreciate his and the department’s proactive response. Because Iowa farmers produce 10 percent of the nation’s food supply, protecting the health of our livestock is one of our highest priorities.
“Additionally, last week I sent a letter to Sec. Vilsack urging the USDA to prioritize and expedite the approval process for animal vaccines designed to combat diseases threatening the agriculture industry. I will continue to advocate for these vaccines to help prevent and control future disease outbreaks.”
According to a news release from IDALS, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig is asking the USDA to aid affected dairy and poultry farmers and to assist in disease research and response to combat the threat to Iowa poultry and dairy farms.
Naig is asking the USDA to help back Iowa farmers by:
Providing compensation for cull dairy cattle at fair market value.Providing compensation for lost milk production at a minimum of 90 percent of fair market value.Revise poultry indemnity tables to better reflect the fair market value of the impacted birds and/or eggs.Present a streamlined and timely process for farmers to be compensated for lost production and to receive indemnity.