Today, Secretary Brooke Rollins held a roundtable discussion with two dozen farmers to address avian flu and other pressing issues affecting the agricultural sector. The meeting aimed to explore strategies for combating avian flu and reducing egg prices, alongside broader concerns such as disaster relief, market expansion, input cost reduction, and regulatory decreases.
Secretary Rollins emphasized President Trump's commitment to supporting American farmers: “President Trump is committed to supporting our great American farmers,” she stated. She criticized the previous administration's policies, asserting that "rural communities were crippled by Biden’s disastrous inflationary policies." Rollins promised swift action to restore opportunities in rural areas and pledged efforts to lower grocery costs, particularly egg prices. “This problem wasn’t created overnight," she noted, adding that they would "take aggressive action" to assist poultry farmers in combating avian flu.
Rollins pointed out what she sees as failures of the Biden administration in handling these issues. She cited data indicating that egg prices peaked during Biden's tenure. A comprehensive strategy is being developed with the White House to tackle avian flu and provide necessary support for poultry farmers.
The roundtable also covered topics like expanding access to capital for young farmers and addressing input costs and disaster relief. Secretary Rollins assured participants of her commitment to honoring financial promises made to them.
Farmers from Virginia, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Iowa, Arkansas, and West Virginia attended the meeting. They represented various sectors including egg layers, dairy, beef, and row crop farming.
