New grant to combat bird flu in livestock available to public – ABC 6 News

(ABC 6 News) – The Minnesota Department of Agriculture is accepting applications for the second round of the AGRI Grant to Protect Livestock from Avian Flu, also known as the Protect Grant, this time with a focus on bird flu.

The subsidy was originally intended to combat the spread of various diseases among livestock by compensating farmers to purchase new equipment to prevent infection.

Thanks to the funding approval for the 2024 legislative period, the focus of funding will now be specifically on combating H5N1, also known as bird flu.

The spread of bird flu is a major issue for many producers across the country.

According to the CDC, 48 states reported outbreaks in poultry, 13 in dairy cows, and there were also more than a dozen isolated cases in humans.

This year alone, cases in Minnesota occurred much later than usual.

“Beyond the time when we normally expect outbreaks in the spring and fall due to wild bird migration, we have seen cases as late as July,” said Dr. Shauna Voss, veterinarian for the Minnesota Board of Animal Health's poultry program.

Avian influenza is usually fatal in poultry and, despite milder cases in cattle and humans, is still a cause for concern.

“If dairy cows get sick, it would affect milk production,” said Mary Nesberg, a professor of agriculture at the University of Minnesota for Olmsted County. “For the farmer, it's a question of the profitability of his operation.”

This is where the “Protect Grant” comes into play.

Courtney VanderMey is MDA's Farm and Business Development Coordinator and the manager for this particular grant.

“Producers can use this grant program to purchase lasers, sound machines and inflatables – things that deter wild species from approaching their pens,” she said.

In addition, it can help producers increase overall biosecurity – a surprisingly simple concept despite the unusual name.

“It is actually only the habits and behaviors of farmers and producers that serve to minimize any kind of contamination,” Nesberg said.

The grants received so far have already had a strong impact.

Loren Brey and his wife operate Brey Farms, a turkey farm in Sleepy Eye that sells nearly three million eggs annually.

Last year, two of their amateur farms were hit by bird flu, resulting in significant production losses.

“Especially on a breeding farm, this means that we are not yet back to full production,” said Brey. “I need about another year to raise the animals and start production again.”

Thanks to the new lasers funded by the grant, Brey can protect his flocks from wild birds that may transmit the disease.

“I hope these lasers will give us an extra boost because right now all we have is biosecurity,” he said.

The MDA will accept applications until October, with preference given to newer farmers who have been in the business for 10 years or less.

Further information and application instructions can be found here on the MDA website.