The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced plans to spend $100 million to study bird flu vaccines to fight the disease in concert with meat chicken, egg and turkey groups. That’s part of a larger $1 billion effort to invest in more protections to keep the virus off farms that President Donald Trump believes will help lower egg prices.

Chicken meat producers remain the most resistant to vaccines because of concerns they could harm meat exports, which totaled nearly $4.7 billion last year. Egg and turkey producers sell most of their products in the U.S. and have been hit hardest by the virus.

Why is a vaccine needed?

Without a new policy including vaccines, the government will continue to slaughter every flock with a bird flu infection to limit the spread of the disease. Those deaths have totaled over 166 million birds in the U.S. since 2022.

Most birds killed are egg-laying chickens, and the death of so many hens is the main reason egg prices keep rising. The average price per dozen has hit $5.90, and in some parts of the country, it is far higher.

Poultry veterinarian Simon Shane, who runs www.Egg-News.com, said the government is hesitant to use vaccines and change its policy of killing birds largely because of the meat chicken industry’s opposition.

“Basically this is a political issue, and this only came to a head because eggs are at $8 to $9 a dozen, and it’s embarrassing the government — embarrassing the present administration,” Shane said.

Why doesn’t the US use a bird flu vaccine?

Before using vaccinations, the government must decide how to devise an effective system and monitor for outbreaks within vaccinated flocks that might not show any symptoms, said John Clifford, the USDA’s former longtime chief veterinary officer, who now works with a poultry industry export group. Once that is figured out, the industry can negotiate with countries to minimize trade problems.

“What the industry wants is the ability to develop the strategic plan to share that with the trading partners and then find out what kind of impact that that will have on trade,” Clifford said.

There are fears that vaccinating could allow the virus to linger undetected in flocks and mutate in ways that could make it more of a threat to humans and allow sick birds to get into the food supply. Like with other diseases, properly cooking chicken to 165 degrees Fahrenheit (74 degrees Celsius) will kill bird flu, but the industry and chicken buyers don’t want it there at all.

For meat chicken, known as broilers, the virus isn’t as significant because those birds are slaughtered at 6 to 8 weeks old and thus have less chance of being infected compared with egg-laying hens, which live to 2 years or older. Also most broilers are raised in the Southeast, which hasn’t had as many outbreaks as the Midwest and West.

Another delay to vaccinating concerns distribution. Egg farmers want to administer it through chicken feed or water, saying it’s not practical to give shots to millions of birds in a single barn.

It can also be difficult to tell the difference between a vaccinated bird and one that has been sick with the virus. That would make other countries nervous about importing meat.

“People have talked about how expensive it would be to monitor vaccinated populations. And it would be. But where do we want to spend our money?” said Dr. Carol Cardona, a bird flu expert at the University of Minnesota. “We’re spending our money hand over fist right now in depopulation and to buy eggs for breakfast.”

What does the experience in other countries show?

China and Mexico have been vaccinating their poultry for years, but they take different approaches.

In Mexico, chicken are vaccinated, but Clifford said the country doesn’t slaughter flocks when infections are found. That basically ensures the virus is present in poultry.

China still slaughters vaccinated flocks when infections are found, which has proved more effective at limiting the spread of the virus and reining in outbreaks.

Clifford said the U.S. would need to continue culling flocks with outbreaks even after vaccinating, and it might make sense to give shots only to egg layers and turkeys, not broilers.

Will it help egg prices?

Don’t expect big relief anytime soon.

The USDA, which did not respond to a request for comment sent last week, clearly isn’t moving to vaccinate immediately. And, regardless, it will take time to raise new hens.

“We’re going to have to wait to replace those with new hatched chicks, and it takes 20 weeks before they even start laying,” Shane said. “So I don’t know where they’re going to get the eggs from.”

Prices may ease somewhat later this year after peak demand, which happens around Easter, if massive egg farms in California, Iowa, Ohio and elsewhere can avoid more outbreaks.

The USDA has predicted that average egg prices will be 41% higher than the 2024 average of $3.17 per dozen. That would mean $4.47 per dozen, slightly below the current average.

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The Agriculture Department on Thursday issued new requirements for foods labeled organic, a move aimed at cracking down on fraud and boosting oversight.

The rule strengthens enforcement of the USDA’s strict definitions of organic, which must rely on “natural substances and physical, mechanical or biologically based farming methods to the fullest extent possible.”

The rule requires USDA’s National Organic Program certification for all imported organic food, increases certifications of more businesses in the supply chain and boosts authority for inspections, record-keeping, traceability and fraud prevention practices.

The Organic Trade Association, which lobbied for rule, said it represents the biggest change to organic regulations since the creation of the USDA organic food program.

OTA officials said in a statement the regulation “will do much to deter and detect organic fraud and protect organic integrity throughout the supply chain.”

Sales of organic foods in the U.S. topped $63 billion in 2021, according to OTA, with consumers willing to pay top dollar for products free of pesticides and other contaminants.

Fresh produce, grains and other foods are vulnerable to fraud. This month, Department of Justice officials issued indictments in a multimillion-dollar scheme to export non-organic grain to the U.S., to be sold as a certified organic product.

The new rule takes effect in March and companies will have a year to comply with the requirements.

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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

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Imagine Schools, Riverside County- Hemet

For additional information please contact: Imagine Schools, Riverside County- Hemet Attention: Mr. Jose Estrada Principal,42655 E Florida Ave, Hemet, CA 92544, (951) 494-7100, jose.estrada@imagineschools.org.

All forms of communication available to the public regarding program availability must contain the appropriate nondiscrimination statement. The nondiscrimination statement must be prominently displayed on the document.

The current nondiscrimination statement is:

In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA.

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g. Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.), should contact the Agency (State or local) where they applied for benefits. Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.

To file a program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, (AD-3027) found online at: http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html , and at any USDA office, or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by:

(1) mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410;

(2) fax: (202) 690-7442; or

(3) email: program.intake@usda.gov.

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When Riverside Food Hub was awarded a USDA “Farmers to Families” grant, it sought nonprofit distribution sites where boxes of fresh produce could be delivered and put to good use by grateful families. The Soboba Foundation is the nonprofit arm of the Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians and was able to quickly set up a weekly distribution program to benefit its tribal members.

Throughout the month of June, 320 boxes of fresh produce are delivered each week to the Soboba Reservation where it is stored in a refrigerator truck. The truck was already being utilized for the tribe’s pop-up market that was created amid the pandemic, so residents didn’t have to leave the reservation to shop at nearby grocery stores for essential items.

Contents of the boxes change each week based on the seasonal fruit and vegetable harvests from local farms, but a recent delivery included baby carrots, pears, iceberg lettuce, celery, strawberries, Pink Lady apples, white peaches, tangelos and sweet corn. The endless variety provides opportunities for families to incorporate healthy, fresh produce into their meal recipes as well as having nutrient-rich snacks on hand throughout the week. “Our CalFresh Healthy Living nutrition educators have worked at Soboba’s schools, teaching about healthy eating, physical fitness and gardening,” said Andrea Morey, Program Coordinator II for Riverside University Health System – Public Health, Nutrition & Health Promotion Branch that has partnered with Riverside Food Hub. “Our team is eager to bring in other educational resources, as the tribal administration requests them. We deeply honor our relationship with Soboba and knew that this food box program opportunity needed to be shared with a diverse segment of residents, including tribal organizations. Food access is a burdensome concern for many, but Soboba opened their doors immediately when we presented the opportunity.”

Each box is valued at $20 retail, estimating the weekly delivery value at about $5,000. The joint venture of the Soboba Tribal Council, Tribal Administrator Michael Castello and the Soboba Foundation has run smoothly since it began. After many of the foundation’s signature fundraising events were postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic, President Dondi Silvas said she was happy to be able to do something for her community and tribal members once again.

“We are grateful that the tribe took the time to fill out all the paperwork to get this program started,” she said. “These items are all locally grown with no pesticides and the white peaches are amazing!” Soboba tribal members Doris Placencia and her sister Joyce Placencia drove up to the side of the Soboba Sports Complex to have their boxes of produce loaded before they went inside to shop at the pop-up market on June 10.

“We came last week, too, and there’s always a really good variety,” Doris said. Soboba Foundation board members staff the check-in table from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each Wednesday. So far, they have not run out of product before the end of the day and when there were about 60 boxes left over on June 3, they were quickly shared with tribal employees and residents of the Santa Rosa Band of Cahuilla Indians and the Cahuilla Band of Indians reservations.

Vanessa Minott, Tribal Administrator for the Santa Rosa Band of Cahuilla Indians, said her tribe was very thankful for the Soboba Foundation’s donation.

“Soboba staff were gracious enough to bring 36 produce boxes to our tribal office so our staff was able to disperse them to our tribal members,” she said. “We’ve gotten a lot of good feedback from the community and personally, I was very grateful to receive a produce box because it has been a hardship getting to the city to get fresh produce.”

Minott said the items have allowed her to provide a healthy alternative in her family’s meals. “As our sister tribe, Soboba has always thought of Santa Rosa and our people and we can’t thank them enough for their endless support,” she said.

Andrea Candelaria, Vice Chairwoman of the Cahuilla Band of Indians, was present when the donation from Soboba was delivered to her Tribal Hall.

“We received 54 boxes of fresh produce; they were distributed on a first come, first serve basis and went very quickly,” she said. “Cahuilla Tribal Members and the Band were very grateful to receive this generous offer. We are of the mindset that the more we can keep our tribal members from going out, especially the elderly and/or the vulnerable, the healthier our community will be. We received several calls from tribal members expressing their gratitude and would like us to pass this on to Soboba.

On June 10, Soboba Cultural Department’s Tribal Land Resource Management (TLRM) crew members Julian Briones and Jared Miranda spent about 45 minutes delivering 15 food boxes to elders who reside at the reservation. They are part of the Canyon Crew that also maintains a Native/Community Garden that is used for a variety of interpretive programs. In 2018, Scott Berndt of the Riverside Unified School District and its Riverside Food Hub program helped the crew install a more efficient irrigation system for the garden. He is the grant coordinator for the Farmers to Families Food Box program and along with UC Master Gardeners provided agricultural advice for Soboba’s garden design and planning.

Berndt said there are currently three local farmers providing produce and 10 more who are undergoing food safety training and food safety certification, which is required by the USDA to participate in the Farmers to Families program.

Although the Riverside Food Hub has been in operation for about three years, Morey said the USDA Farmers to Families Food Box program was a very immediate response to COVID-19’s effect on agricultural production, restaurant closures and grocery shortages. Many agencies applied for community distribution and staff at the public health department helped to coordinate a network of partners for the free produce boxes.

“This program helps the farmers because we are purchasing the produce for the boxes from them at fair prices,” Berndt said. “The program has been a godsend because our sales dropped 90% because of the COVID-19 shutdown. This program has allowed me to keep workers busy from the increase of activity to support the food boxes.”

He said it has been challenging to find locally grown produce from Food Safety Certified farms and that the need is greater than the number of boxes that he is contracted to deliver for the USDA program. Berndt’s farm blog can be found at berndtsplants.blogspot.com.

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