Bird flu affects more than 12M commercial poultry in Darke, Mercer counties

Both resolutions approved Tuesday said the HPAI outbreak poses a severe risk to the economic stability of the agricultural sector and affects employment, supply chains, price inflation and small businesses because the affected poultry farms are vital to the local economy and provide essential food products to the region, state and nation.

“The outbreak of (HPAI) requires immediate and effective intervention, including the provision of emergency funding, resources and technical support to mitigate further losses, contain the spread of the disease and restore affected agricultural operations to full productivity as quickly as possible,” both resolutions stated.

Commissioners in Darke and Mercer counties declared an emergency due to the bird flu outbreak and requested six types of support from the state and federal governments:

Affirmation of testing: In barns that have tested positive but are not showing clinical symptoms, commissioners request that the flock owner be allowed to take three additional test samples. One sample would be sent to a state or federal lab and the other two to an accredited lab of the owner’s choice. Killing the flock would be delayed until the three samples show consistency with a positive result.

Immediate financial aid and compensation: Allocation of emergency financial support to poultry farmers in Darke and Mercer counties directly affected by the HPAI outbreak, including compensation for loss of poultry and revenue due to quarantine and killing the flock.

Resource allocation: Providing personal protective equipment, disinfectants and biosecurity supplies to support the efforts of farmers, veterinarians and agricultural extension workers managing the outbreak and preventing further spread.

Veterinary support and expertise: Providing veterinary professionals and disease control experts to assist with diagnosis, testing and culling of infected poultry in addition to guidance on best practices for disinfection and recovery measures for affected farms.

Extension of emergency funding programs: Providing low-interest loans, grans or insurance claims through existing federal or state agricultural relief programs to affected farmers for recovery, repopulation of flocks and infrastructure repair.

Coordination with state and federal agencies: Coordinating response and resources and with state and federal agencies such as the USDA, Federal Motor Carriers Safety Administration, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and Ohio Department of Natural Resources and exemptions from select regulations.

Source: USDA, Ohio Department of Agriculture