Agriculture Sec. Rollins Announces 5-Point Plan to Bring Cost of Eggs Down

Reporter Can we get ░░░░░░░░ questions about the eggs ░░░░░░░░ Yes we can Reporter ░░░░░░░░ ROLLINS Let me grab ░░░░░░░░ I ve got a ░░░░░░░░ handy dandy chart Let ░░░░░░░░ grab that Perfect Alright ░░░░░░░░ all want to talk ░░░░░░░░ Reporter Yeah ROLLINS Let ░░░░░░░░ do it Reporter OK ░░░░░░░░ you just lay out ░░░░░░░░ FEMALE Hey excuse me ░░░░░░░░ MALE Oh sorry UNKNOWN ░░░░░░░░ I m sorry sir ░░░░░░░░ Just lay out It ░░░░░░░░ the same thing what ░░░░░░░░ I read the crosstalk ░░░░░░░░ Yeah yeah yeah absolutely ░░░░░░░░ first of all thank ░░░░░░░░ all so much Really ░░░░░░░░ to be here and ░░░░░░░░ get to talk about ░░░░░░░░ Clearly one of the ░░░░░░░░ issues facing America today ░░░░░░░░ the egg prices And ░░░░░░░░ president has made it ░░░░░░░░ of his priorities from ░░░░░░░░ one that we bring ░░░░░░░░ prices down for consumers ░░░░░░░░ protecting America s farmers ░░░░░░░░ very quickly you can ░░░░░░░░ here this chart The ░░░░░░░░ of eggs under Biden ░░░░░░░░ just skyrocketed Under Trump ░░░░░░░░ down a little bit ░░░░░░░░ went up a little ░░░░░░░░ So it s more ░░░░░░░░ just the avian flu ░░░░░░░░ certainly that has been ░░░░░░░░ driver So just this ░░░░░░░░ I m going to ░░░░░░░░ this back to you ░░░░░░░░ just this morning we ░░░░░░░░ a plan to first ░░░░░░░░ all attack the avian ░░░░░░░░ and how we pull ░░░░░░░░ back out of our ░░░░░░░░ producers but secondly how ░░░░░░░░ bring the cost of ░░░░░░░░ down So that plan ░░░░░░░░ five parts The first ░░░░░░░░ is a biosecurity part ░░░░░░░░ what that means is ░░░░░░░░ how do we lock ░░░░░░░░ poultry barns down How ░░░░░░░░ we ensure that our ░░░░░░░░ laying chickens aren t ░░░░░░░░ this disease Mostly it ░░░░░░░░ from wildfowl that fly ░░░░░░░░ or get into the ░░░░░░░░ So USDA will be ░░░░░░░░ at no charge an ░░░░░░░░ to every single egg ░░░░░░░░ in this country And ░░░░░░░░ then we will help ░░░░░░░░ secure their barns Of ░░░░░░░░ pilot projects on this ░░░░░░░░ project only one has ░░░░░░░░ the avian flu since ░░░░░░░░ USDA came in and ░░░░░░░░ lock those barns down ░░░░░░░░ that s first Secondly ░░░░░░░░ re going to work ░░░░░░░░ move much more quickly ░░░░░░░░ repopulating the 160 million ░░░░░░░░ that have been culled ░░░░░░░░ just the last few ░░░░░░░░ So what do we ░░░░░░░░ to do to get ░░░░░░░░ out of the way ░░░░░░░░ help indemnify these poultry ░░░░░░░░ to start repopulating much ░░░░░░░░ quickly than we ve ░░░░░░░░ doing Third is a ░░░░░░░░ effort That is ensuring ░░░░░░░░ the rules that have ░░░░░░░░ layered on our producers ░░░░░░░░ egg producers over the ░░░░░░░░ really four years that ░░░░░░░░ begin to peel those ░░░░░░░░ that will allow costs ░░░░░░░░ come down That s ░░░░░░░░ little bit more long ░░░░░░░░ but really important There ░░░░░░░░ some rules in play ░░░░░░░░ are costing the eggs ░░░░░░░░ go up without the ░░░░░░░░ flu as part of ░░░░░░░░ The fourth is we ░░░░░░░░ looking to import eggs ░░░░░░░░ the short term This ░░░░░░░░ just on the cost ░░░░░░░░ We re already in ░░░░░░░░ There s been you ░░░░░░░░ if you dig around ░░░░░░░░ ll kind of figure ░░░░░░░░ which countries but we ░░░░░░░░ talking to three or ░░░░░░░░ countries right now about ░░░░░░░░ between 70 and 100 ░░░░░░░░ eggs into the country ░░░░░░░░ the next month or ░░░░░░░░ which of course will ░░░░░░░░ with supply and demand ░░░░░░░░ then the final more ░░░░░░░░ term is putting significant ░░░░░░░░ into vaccine and therapeutic ░░░░░░░░ Our egg layers and ░░░░░░░░ broilers our poultry industry ░░░░░░░░ not use vaccinations right ░░░░░░░░ A lot of the ░░░░░░░░ believes on the egg ░░░░░░░░ side that we should ░░░░░░░░ it isn t a ░░░░░░░░ vaccine yet and so ░░░░░░░░ was hesitant in rolling ░░░░░░░░ out that would require ░░░░░░░░ vaccinations without understanding first ░░░░░░░░ what would solve the ░░░░░░░░ Mexico vaccinates their egg ░░░░░░░░ and they still are ░░░░░░░░ with about 80 percent ░░░░░░░░ vaccinated with this avian ░░░░░░░░ So instead we re ░░░░░░░░ to put some significant ░░░░░░░░ into researching how we ░░░░░░░░ to that point And ░░░░░░░░ way I would think ░░░░░░░░ it is it s ░░░░░░░░ like the flu vaccine ░░░░░░░░ Most people get it ░░░░░░░░ it only works one ░░░░░░░░ of every two or ░░░░░░░░ times Before we start ░░░░░░░░ our chickens we need ░░░░░░░░ ensure and putting that ░░░░░░░░ the food supply that ░░░░░░░░ know exactly what we ░░░░░░░░ doing So that s ░░░░░░░░ five part plan Reporter ░░░░░░░░ what s a realistic ░░░░░░░░ for it How long ░░░░░░░░ plan will take to ░░░░░░░░ lower egg prices ROLLINS ░░░░░░░░ we are seeing probably ░░░░░░░░ a little bit more ░░░░░░░░ up until Easter which ░░░░░░░░ actually normal because so ░░░░░░░░ eggs are used around ░░░░░░░░ We also have only ░░░░░░░░ in 30 days I ░░░░░░░░ been in 13 days ░░░░░░░░ are going it s ░░░░░░░░ to take a little ░░░░░░░░ to to get through ░░░░░░░░ think the next month ░░░░░░░░ two but hopefully by ░░░░░░░░ Reporter: “So several months.”