We got some questions ░░░░░░░░ that Yes we 2 ░░░░░░░░ grab I ve got ░░░░░░░░ fancy handy dandy chart ░░░░░░░░ All right don t ░░░░░░░░ to talk eggs Let ░░░░░░░░ 4 do it Hey ░░░░░░░░ me Oh sorry 5 ░░░░░░░░ Yeah absolutely So first ░░░░░░░░ all 6 thank you ░░░░░░░░ so much Really great ░░░░░░░░ 7 be here to ░░░░░░░░ to talk about this ░░░░░░░░ 8 one of the ░░░░░░░░ issues facing America today ░░░░░░░░ the 9 egg prices ░░░░░░░░ the president has made ░░░░░░░░ one 10 of his ░░░░░░░░ from minute one that ░░░░░░░░ bring those 11 prices ░░░░░░░░ for consumers while Protecting ░░░░░░░░ s farmers and very ░░░░░░░░ quickly you can see ░░░░░░░░ this chart the prices ░░░░░░░░ 13 eggs under Biden ░░░░░░░░ just skyrocketed Under Trump ░░░░░░░░ 14 down a little ░░░░░░░░ Obama went up a ░░░░░░░░ 15 bit So it ░░░░░░░░ more than just the ░░░░░░░░ flu 16 but certainly ░░░░░░░░ has been the driver ░░░░░░░░ 17 just this morning ░░░░░░░░ just this morning we ░░░░░░░░ the 18 plan to ░░░░░░░░ of all attack the ░░░░░░░░ flu and 19 how ░░░░░░░░ pull it back out ░░░░░░░░ our poultry producers 20 ░░░░░░░░ secondly how we bring ░░░░░░░░ cost of eggs 21 ░░░░░░░░ So that plan has ░░░░░░░░ parts The 22 first ░░░░░░░░ is a biosecurity part ░░░░░░░░ what that 23 means ░░░░░░░░ that how do we ░░░░░░░░ our poultry barns 24 ░░░░░░░░ How do we ensure ░░░░░░░░ our egg laying 25 ░░░░░░░░ aren t getting this ░░░░░░░░ Mostly it comes from ░░░░░░░░ wild fowl that fly ░░░░░░░░ or Get into the ░░░░░░░░ 27 so USDA will ░░░░░░░░ producing at no charge ░░░░░░░░ 28 audit to every ░░░░░░░░ egg farmer in this ░░░░░░░░ 29 and then we ░░░░░░░░ help them secure their ░░░░░░░░ 30 Of 150 pilot ░░░░░░░░ on this exact project ░░░░░░░░ 31 one has gotten ░░░░░░░░ avian flu since the ░░░░░░░░ came 32 in and ░░░░░░░░ lock those barns down ░░░░░░░░ s first 33 Secondly ░░░░░░░░ re going to work ░░░░░░░░ move much 34 more ░░░░░░░░ on repopulating the 160 ░░░░░░░░ That have 35 been ░░░░░░░░ in just the last ░░░░░░░░ months So 36 what ░░░░░░░░ we need to do ░░░░░░░░ get regulations out 37 ░░░░░░░░ the way to help ░░░░░░░░ these poultry producers to ░░░░░░░░ start repopulating much more ░░░░░░░░ than we ve been ░░░░░░░░ 39 Third is a ░░░░░░░░ effort that is ensuring ░░░░░░░░ the 40 rules that ░░░░░░░░ been layered on our ░░░░░░░░ our 41 egg producers ░░░░░░░░ the last really 4 ░░░░░░░░ that we 42 begin ░░░░░░░░ peel those back that ░░░░░░░░ allow costs to 43 ░░░░░░░░ down That s a ░░░░░░░░ bit more long term ░░░░░░░░ but really There are ░░░░░░░░ rules in play 45 ░░░░░░░░ are causing the eggs ░░░░░░░░ go up without the ░░░░░░░░ avian flu as part ░░░░░░░░ it The fourth is ░░░░░░░░ we re looking to ░░░░░░░░ eggs in the short ░░░░░░░░ 48 This is just ░░░░░░░░ the cost piece We ░░░░░░░░ already 49 in discussions ░░░░░░░░ s been you know ░░░░░░░░ 50 you dig around ░░░░░░░░ ll kind of figure ░░░░░░░░ which 51 countries but ░░░░░░░░ re talking to 3 ░░░░░░░░ 4 countries 52 right ░░░░░░░░ about getting between 70 ░░░░░░░░ 100 million eggs 53 ░░░░░░░░ the country in the ░░░░░░░░ month or two 54 ░░░░░░░░ of course will help ░░░░░░░░ supply and demand 55 ░░░░░░░░ then the final More ░░░░░░░░ term is putting 56 ░░░░░░░░ funds into vaccine and ░░░░░░░░ research Our egg 57 ░░░░░░░░ and our broilers our ░░░░░░░░ industry does not 58 ░░░░░░░░ vaccinations right now A ░░░░░░░░ of the industry 59 ░░░░░░░░ on the egg laying ░░░░░░░░ that we should 60 ░░░░░░░░ it isn t a ░░░░░░░░ vaccine yet And so ░░░░░░░░ I was hesitant in ░░░░░░░░ anything out that would ░░░░░░░░ 62 more vaccinations without ░░░░░░░░ first exactly would it ░░░░░░░░ the 63 problem Mexico ░░░░░░░░ egg layers and they ░░░░░░░░ 64 are hit with ░░░░░░░░ 80 even vaccinated with ░░░░░░░░ avian 65 flu So ░░░░░░░░ we re going to ░░░░░░░░ some significant 66 funding ░░░░░░░░ researching how we get ░░░░░░░░ that point 67 And ░░░░░░░░ way I would think ░░░░░░░░ it is it s ░░░░░░░░ almost like the flu ░░░░░░░░ right Most people 69 ░░░░░░░░ it but it only ░░░░░░░░ one out of 70 ░░░░░░░░ 2 or 3 times ░░░░░░░░ we start sticking our ░░░░░░░░ chickens we need to ░░░░░░░░ and putting that into ░░░░░░░░ the food supply that ░░░░░░░░ know exactly what we ░░░░░░░░ doing 73 So that ░░░░░░░░ the 5 part Well ░░░░░░░░ re 74 seeing probably ░░░░░░░░ a little bit more ░░░░░░░░ up until 75 Easter ░░░░░░░░ is actually normal because ░░░░░░░░ many eggs 76 are ░░░░░░░░ around Easter We also ░░░░░░░░ only been 77 in ░░░░░░░░ days I ve been ░░░░░░░░ 13 days 78 We ░░░░░░░░ going it s going ░░░░░░░░ take a little while ░░░░░░░░ to get through I ░░░░░░░░ the next month or ░░░░░░░░ two but hopefully by ░░░░░░░░ several months 81 I ░░░░░░░░ t want to say ░░░░░░░░ just yet Yes 82 ░░░░░░░░ I obviously fully support ░░░░░░░░ I 83 in fact ░░░░░░░░ turned in the 5 ░░░░░░░░ things 84 I ve ░░░░░░░░ this last week I ░░░░░░░░ very proud of 85 ░░░░░░░░ I m proud of ░░░░░░░░ employees at USDA 86 ░░░░░░░░ s a great question ░░░░░░░░ we look to streamline ░░░░░░░░ and make more efficient ░░░░░░░░ US Department of Agriculture ░░░░░░░░ will we have the ░░░░░░░░ needed to address the ░░░░░░░░ 89 I just laid ░░░░░░░░ We are convinced that ░░░░░░░░ 90 will We realign ░░░░░░░░ evaluate where USDA has ░░░░░░░░ spending 91 money where ░░░░░░░░ employees are spending their ░░░░░░░░ 92 you know we ░░░░░░░░ pulled out a lot ░░░░░░░░ the 93 DEI initiatives ░░░░░░░░ ve stopped We had ░░░░░░░░ 11 000 94 trainings ░░░░░░░░ canceled on DEI on ░░░░░░░░ first day on 95 ░░░░░░░░ job We ve got ░░░░░░░░ lot of employees that ░░░░░░░░ now we will begin ░░░░░░░░ recalibrate and redirect towards ░░░░░░░░ 97 our ag industry ░░░░░░░░ do not I do ░░░░░░░░ not no One or ░░░░░░░░ examples of regulations 99 ░░░░░░░░ think that we are ░░░░░░░░ at specific rules 100 ░░░░░░░░ terms of pricing and ░░░░░░░░ and not that 101 ░░░░░░░░ re not 100 for ░░░░░░░░ but all of that ░░░░░░░░ needs to be looked ░░░░░░░░ The one honestly is ░░░░░░░░ Prop 12 in California ░░░░░░░░ has caused a lot ░░░░░░░░ 104 prices to go ░░░░░░░░ The average dozen eggs ░░░░░░░░ 105 California is 9 ░░░░░░░░ But because of and ░░░░░░░░ s 5 106 around ░░░░░░░░ country so it s ░░░░░░░░ twice as much 107 ░░░░░░░░ Prop 12 did is ░░░░░░░░ had certain regulations 108 ░░░░░░░░ requirements for pieces parts ░░░░░░░░ our livestock that really ░░░░░░░░ caused prices to go ░░░░░░░░ and it didn t ░░░░░░░░ affect 110 California it ░░░░░░░░ the rest of the ░░░░░░░░ because 111 California imports ░░░░░░░░ exports agriculture products So ░░░░░░░░ s a 112 lot ░░░░░░░░ work that has already ░░░░░░░░ done clearly 113 I ░░░░░░░░ t know the exact ░░░░░░░░ I have 114 it ░░░░░░░░ my head but I ░░░░░░░░ t want to 115 ░░░░░░░░ it in case it ░░░░░░░░ wrong but it s ░░░░░░░░ 116 around a dozen ░░░░░░░░ more countries that currently ░░░░░░░░ the 117 vaccine So ░░░░░░░░ s not that it ░░░░░░░░ a brand new 118 ░░░░░░░░ and there are a ░░░░░░░░ of people in 119 ░░░░░░░░ country We got a ░░░░░░░░ of feedback from 120 ░░░░░░░░ who think that s ░░░░░░░░ immediate solution and that ░░░░░░░░ 121 should be doing ░░░░░░░░ It has been tested ░░░░░░░░ 122 the world When ░░░░░░░░ really dug in and ░░░░░░░░ 123 To our CDC ░░░░░░░░ Center for Disease Control ░░░░░░░░ or NIH some of ░░░░░░░░ key veterinarians around 125 ░░░░░░░░ country Next week I ░░░░░░░░ going to a facility ░░░░░░░░ in Athens Georgia with ░░░░░░░░ University of Georgia that ░░░░░░░░ goes into this specifically ░░░░░░░░ livestock As I do ░░░░░░░░ that a lot of ░░░░░░░░ feedback I got was ░░░░░░░░ as I mentioned that ░░░░░░░░ could be a 130 ░░░░░░░░ but to push that ░░░░░░░░ now and We re ░░░░░░░░ just not ready We ░░░░░░░░ t have enough information ░░░░░░░░ 132 we need to ░░░░░░░░ understand how it will ░░░░░░░░ the 133 food supply ░░░░░░░░ those are all really ░░░░░░░░ 134 important questions that ░░░░░░░░ think have to be ░░░░░░░░ 135 So we ve ░░░░░░░░ 100 million of that ░░░░░░░░ dollars plan 136 that ░░░░░░░░ be focused specifically on ░░░░░░░░ but not 137 just ░░░░░░░░ vaccines on therapeutics Is ░░░░░░░░ a way 138 to ░░░░░░░░ the avian flu with ░░░░░░░░ not just 139 vaccines ░░░░░░░░ Cabinet You The American ░░░░░░░░ 140 and ranchers are ░░░░░░░░ concerned about this This ░░░░░░░░ 141 really the theme ░░░░░░░░ coming current tariff negotiations ░░░░░░░░ are 142 happening throughout ░░░░░░░░ hearing and preparing for ░░░░░░░░ hearing 143 all my ░░░░░░░░ meetings both Republicans and ░░░░░░░░ on 144 the ad ░░░░░░░░ obviously all brought this ░░░░░░░░ I 145 just finished ░░░░░░░░ to all of our ░░░░░░░░ ad commissioners 146 both ░░░░░░░░ and Democrat this morning ░░░░░░░░ a 147 lot of ░░░░░░░░ friends of agriculture But ░░░░░░░░ I 148 know is ░░░░░░░░ President Trump has a ░░░░░░░░ His 149 idea Of ░░░░░░░░ tariffs in his tool ░░░░░░░░ has 150 proven very ░░░░░░░░ the first time I ░░░░░░░░ no 151 doubt it ░░░░░░░░ be successful again My ░░░░░░░░ is 152 to defend ░░░░░░░░ agriculture interests in those ░░░░░░░░ and the 153 multiples ░░░░░░░░ conversations I ve had ░░░░░░░░ President Trump about this ░░░░░░░░ he has continually said ░░░░░░░░ assure our farmers 155 ░░░░░░░░ our ranchers that I ░░░░░░░░ their backs Please 156 ░░░░░░░░ them that we understand ░░░░░░░░ they are in the ░░░░░░░░ discussions the negotiations and ░░░░░░░░ the straits that 158 ░░░░░░░░ currently being faced and ░░░░░░░░ at the end of ░░░░░░░░ this at the end ░░░░░░░░ this our farmers 160 ░░░░░░░░ our rangers will be ░░░░░░░░ prosperous and see more ░░░░░░░░ prosperity than ever before ░░░░░░░░ you all so much ░░░░░░░░ Really good to be ░░░░░░░░ you Thank you 163 ░░░░░░░░ the opportunity.