As the US battles its worst bird flu outbreak in its history, its government has taken decisive action to stem the spread.
According to FairPlay, the rising price of eggs has become a political issue, motivating the US government to implement a $1-billion five-pronged strategy to help farmers and consumers.
The equality-in-trade lobby group says these funds are in addition to assistance already being provided to farmers who have had to cull birds during bird flu outbreaks.
South Africa, on the other hand, is approaching the dangerous winter months and the poultry industry says the risk of another devastating outbreak is high, FairPlay adds.
The SA Poultry Association estimates that the 2023 outbreak, which resulted in the culling of millions of chickens, cost the industry at least R9.5bn.
Compared to the US, there was no compensation for those losses.
An article in the Wall Street Journal says the US strategy was announced by the country’s agriculture secretary Brooke Rollins.
America’s five-pronged strategy includes an additional $500 million for biosecurity measures, $400m in financial relief for affected farmers, and $100m for vaccine research, action to reduce regulatory burdens, and exploring temporary import options.
The US Department of Agriculture will deploy 20 trained epidemiologists to increase biosecurity audits at poultry farms. The department will then share up to 75% of the costs to fix the highest biosecurity concerns identified, up to a total of $500m.
The US government will also spend up to $100m exploring ways to reduce bird flu culls, including through promoting vaccination.
