As Families Prepare for Holiday Cooking, Gallego Calls for Action on Rising Egg Prices

As Families Prepare for Holiday Cooking, Gallego Calls for Action on Rising Egg Prices

Letter builds on Rep. Gallego's previous work to lower grocery costs for Arizona families

WASHINGTON - Today, Rep. Ruben Gallego (AZ-03) urged U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack to take immediate action to address the ongoing spread of avian influenza, which has led to a spike in egg and dairy prices. The letter comes as grocers report a shortage of eggs going into the holiday season and builds on Rep. Gallego's previous work on the issue.

"Arizona farms and farmers have not been immune to the ongoing [avian flu] outbreak," Rep. Gallego wrote. "Just last week, the Arizona Department of Agriculture announced that avian flu had been confirmed on a poultry farm in Pinal County. As the virus continues to spread, supply shocks threaten to increase the price of eggs going into the holiday season - an added cost Arizonans cannot afford."

"Without immediate emergency approval of bovine and avian vaccines and mandated use, we are going to continue to play corporate whack-a-mole with the continued devastating results to supply and prices," said Glenn Hickman, President of Hickman Family Farms. "We thank Rep. Gallego for his efforts to address this issue and keep prices for Arizona shoppers from skyrocketing."

To address the continuing spread and lower costs, Rep. Gallego requested answers to the following questions:

• How are you working with egg and poultry farmers to protect supply chains and alleviate the impacts of outbreaks, while also keeping egg prices from increasing for Arizonans?
• What research is being done into how the virus is spreading and the greatest risks for accelerated transmission, including into other livestock?
• What additional transportation and biosecurity measures are the Department considering to prevent potential viral transmission through livestock and human movement?
• What additional vaccine trials and technological developments are being explored to mitigate viral spread while protecting trade and business interests, and how are we working with partner nations to find shared solutions to address the outbreak and keep costs down?
• Would the USDA consider temporarily allowing egg imports from other nations, including Canada, should there be a critical shortage of eggs and egg products? How are you working with our neighbors to address any potential health and safety risks associated with importation?
• What additional resources does the USDA need from Congress to accelerate response efforts?
• What is the USDA's plan to maintain uninterrupted response to the virus during the Presidential transition period?

"Preventing further spread of the avian flu will not only protect the domestic egg, poultry, and dairy industries, it will keep down grocery costs and protect the health and safety of all Arizonans," Rep. Gallego concluded. "It is truly in all of our best interests to work together on a bipartisan basis to prevent further avian influenza spread."