Indiana Farm Bureau

NEWS RELEASE

January 21, 2016

For more information: Andy Dietrick, 317-692-7818, adietrick@infb.org

Kathleen Dutro, 317-692-7824, kdutro@infb.org

Growing things is a risky business, and farmers go into every season with a plan to minimize that risk. Sometimes, however, unforeseen events can take a devastating toll on a crop, herd or flock.

Such is the case in Dubois County, where various strains of avian influenza have caused at least 10 turkey growers to depopulate their barns and euthanize their flocks.  At some point these growers will get new birds and carry on with the business of growing turkeys.  It’s what farmers do.

The Farm Bureau family feels their loss, and I assure all impacted growers that we will work with you throughout this difficult time.

The Indiana Board of Animal Health, whose staff and leadership have done a herculean job of pinpointing affected flocks and virus strains, will continue to monitor the situation in Dubois and surrounding counties.  We and our members in the poultry business will continue to work closely with BOAH to ensure timely exchange of information and accurate reporting from the field. 

Indiana Farm Bureau will also be in constant contact with our congressional delegation in Washington because the discovery of highly pathogenic strains of AI in Indiana has a direct and potentially catastrophic impact on our state’s ability to export poultry products to certain foreign markets.

At the delegate session held last week during the American Farm Bureau convention, delegates approved new language supporting voluntary risk management products for poultry growers that would provide assistance during disease outbreaks. Indiana Farm Bureau will work with AFBF on that goal at the national level.

We pray that this is a short term problem for an isolated county in southern Indiana, and that the vigilance of our local, state and federal agencies has limited the spread of HPAI. As the story unfolds over the next few months, Indiana Farm Bureau stands ready to assist our members to the best of our collective ability.

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Kathleen M. Dutro

Publications managing editor

Media relations specialist

Public Relations Team

Indiana Farm Bureau

Office: 317-692-7824

Mobile: 317-727-0607

kdutro@infarmbureau.org