New grant program will help Pennsylvania farms hit by avian flu

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Updated: 12:40 PM EDT Jul 27, 2022Infinite Scroll Enabled

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MOUNT JOY, Pa. —

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration on Wednesday announced a new grant program for poultry farms hit by the avian flu.

The avian flu directly impacted 17 poultry farms in Lancaster and Berks counties, causing a loss of more than 4 million birds. As the farms work to recover, the governor said he wants to help.

The commonwealth’s new HPAI Recovery Reimbursement Grant Program provides $25 million to farmers in the control zone.

Farmers whose flocks tested positive for avian flu or those who couldn’t conduct business as usual because of their location can apply for the funds.

“Secretary Redding’s team at the Department of Agriculture and my team at Treasury are already working together to ensure that the process is as smooth as possible, so when applications are reviewed and approved by Agriculture and sent to my office for payment, we’re going to cut those checks right away and get the funds into the field,” Treasurer Stacy Garrity said.

Pennsylvania has a $7 billion poultry industry with more than 26,000 jobs relying on it. The state ranks fourth overall in egg production and leads the US in organic egg and poultry sales.

Avian flu update

As of July 27, all avian flu control areas have been lifted.

The General Quarantine Order is still in place, enabling the state to place additional restrictions on infected farms to control the spread of the disease. The prohibition on exhibiting poultry at fairs is also still in place.

To apply for the grant program, visit the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture’s website. To learn more about HPAI, visit the avian flu page.