Hundreds of Berks Co. workers in poultry industry delivering $253 million economic impact people who privately raise chickens must also be vigilant
HARRISBURG, June 26, 2015 – Because the latest avian influenza outbreak has wiped out 50 million birds across the country and appears to be headed this way, Sen. Judy Schwank is working with state agriculture officials as they develop response and recovery plans should the disease strike in Pennsylvania.
Schwank said this highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreak is moving from western states to the east as birds migrate. The most recent state to report an avian outbreak is Michigan.
“Nearly 220 Berks County residents who live in the 11th Senatorial District work in the poultry industry and have a positive economic impact to our economy of more than a quarter billion dollars,” Schwank said. “Much is at stake if this avian influenza outbreak hits our backyard.
“In cooperation with the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, we are keeping a close eye on the movement of this disease, which has no known impact on human health, and are urging our local poultry producers to not wait to begin biosecurity measures to safeguard their flocks.
“Even private residents who raise a handful of chickens in their backyard must be vigilant,” she said.
Since December, Schwank, the Democratic chairwoman of the Senate Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee, said two versions of avian influenza Type-A virus strains – the H5N2 and the H5N8 – have emerged. The highly pathogenic H5N2 is killing 95 percent of the infected birds.
While the disease has moved from the Pacific region of the United States to the Central flyway and the Mississippi flyway, it has not yet intersected the Atlantic flyway, which covers Pennsylvania.
Schwank said state agriculture officials have formed an HPAI task force and have been working since February with PennAg Industries, industry leaders and academia to monitor the situation and map preparedness plans.
Part of the planning includes steps for depopulation and biosecurity measures and increasing state surveillance and monitoring efforts.
Because of the avian influenza outbreak, there will be no avian shows at any of the state’s 109 fairs or the 2016 Pennsylvania Farm Show in January.
“Precaution and action are the two most important elements right now,” Sen. Schwank said. “We need to take the proper steps to safeguard this vital industry in Berks County and statewide.”
Of the 219 total poultry jobs in Schwank’s senatorial district, 215 are in processing and four are in production.
Another 760 jobs are in supplier and ancillary poultry industries and count for more than $56 million in total wages.
Agriculture is a vital industry in Berks County. Sen. Schwank is a member of the Pennsylvania Agricultural Land Preservation Board, which has, so far, preserved the most farmland of any county in the commonwealth.
For more information, FAQs and checklists, visit Sen. Schwank’s website: https://www.senatorschwank.com/avian-flu.
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