Delmarva Chicken Association Executive Director Holly Porter made the following comment on the recently introduced Healthy Poultry Assistance and Indemnification (HPAI) Act:
“Empowering the USDA to compensate the full set of chicken growers whose incomes are affected by avian influenza outbreaks is smart policy, and DCA’s members are pleased to see this progress in the effort to make that policy the law. We greatly appreciate Senator Coons, Senator Cardin, Senator Van Hollen, and the rest of the HPAI Act’s cosponsors for recognizing how many family farmers raising chicken are impacted by HPAI cases, even when their farms are not the ones at the center of an outbreak.
“No one in Delmarva’s chicken community wants to see another HPAI case, but should it occur, this bill would ensure farmers in the control zone are compensated for their lost income due to compliance with efforts to contain the spread of the disease. We’re urging Congress to pass this legislation on behalf of farmers who forgo income to keep the food supply safe for everyone.”
