Senator Chuck Schumer in Buffalo calling for Trump administration to stop Avian Bird Flu in order to stop escalating cost of eggs (January 27, 2025)
U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer is calling on the Federal Government to surge funding to stop the spread of avian bird flu that’s causing the price of eggs to increase.
Schumer made his plea outside a Buffalo-area diner Monday saying, “…Recently restaurants like Alton’s and families in Buffalo have been shell-shocked by higher egg and grocery prices. Egg prices are skyrocketing because of bird flu, driving costs up for families, farms, diners, and small businesses. In November, a dozen eggs cost about $4 in NY which is already high, but now the average is nearly $6, and with bird flu getting worse this problem could quickly spiral into a crisis.”
Schumer said the Trump administration needs to “surge biosecurity efforts to beat back bird flu. We need a robust, coordinated federal response to crack down on bird flu and I am committed to working in a bipartisan way with the new administration to get grocery prices lower and that starts with getting a handle on bird flu. The health of our livestock, our restaurants, and Western NY families’ wallets depend on it.”
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, some grocery stores are limiting the number of egg cartons consumers can purchase, and the price of eggs in New York State has increased from $4.23 in November to $6.10 as of January 10. Roughly 8% of the egg supply has been affected by the avian flu nationwide, and experts say prices could increase an additional 20% in 2025 if the bird flu keeps spreading.
Schumer added he will be pushing for more federal resources in the upcoming budget bill to stop bird flu. He said the federal government must also invest in biosecurity efforts including isolation, sanitation, and more personal protective equipment (PPE). The senator called on the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and National Institutes of Health, among other federal agencies, to engage in a coordinated federal response to manage this bird flu outbreak. HHS invested more than $300 million dollars before the Trump administration took office.
More than 20 million egg-laying chickens died last quarter because of bird flu, and last week Long Island’s last commercial duck farm was forced to kill thousands of ducks after health officials detected cases of bird flu, forcing the farm to cease operations. An outbreak in Georgia last week showed how the virus can spread, and Schumer highlighted the need for federal coordination to prevent further spread and support farms in New York and across the country. With infections across the country, there have been fewer eggs available, and decreased supply has led to increasing prices at grocery stores.
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