KMA Land - Young Seeks Unified Approach to Bird Flu

News Article

by Mike Peterson

"We're all in this together"-- that's the message Iowa Congressman David Young is sending on the continued battle against the spread of avian flu in the state.

In his weekly interview during KMA's 7:35 news segment Wednesday morning, Young says help from the federal government is available to poultry producers impacted by the flu. But, he says it will take a unified approach to bring the virus' spread under control.

"The big point I want to stress is how important it is for the federal government to work with the state government," said Young, "and the governor's office, and legislators and local government, too, to make sure we're on the same page, and that we're all unified here, as well as the whole agricultural community, because when it affects one sector of agriculture in Iowa, we all feel like we're under attack sometimes. So, we have to stay unified."

As of Tuesday, 49 cases had been reported in Iowa, affecting approximately 25 million birds. Young, however, says it's important to put a human face on the disease's impact.

"You know, we talk about the birds," he said, "but these are producers. These are generations of families.
Sometimes, they put their livelihood on the line, invest in extending that business for generations. And also, it's about hiring people that are workers. There's people with jobs. So, you think about the human face of this. And, you think about the economic impact, and what this could do to ag prices."

Only one ag producer in Iowa's 3rd Congressional District--Roseacre Farms in Madison County--has reported bird flu cases. However, the Van Meter Republican says his constituents are concerned about the flu's spread--and how dead birds will be disposed.

"You think about how birds are stacked up--that's pretty daunting," Young said. "There's incineration, there's composting, there's talk of landfills. We just need to make sure these birds are disposed of, and keep the communication in line all over the state."

Young believes the USDA has been responsive and respectful to producers regarding the flu's spread. He also believes U.S. Ag. Secretary Tom Vilsack is on top of the problem.

"We've got great leadership at the top there at USDA in Tom Vilsack," he said. "It's good to have an Iowan there in that position, because he pays more attention to it. He's a home state boy, so he makes sure he takes care of Iowa."

But like other agencies, Young says the USDA is trying to figure what caused the avian flu, and why it's spreading.

Source