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Naig: Poultry shows successful at state fair, no H5N1 restrictions needed

Iowa’s Ag Secretary says poultry shows and exhibits have been a success at this year’s Iowa State Fair.

Mike Naig tells Brownfield he’s thankful that it’s been a very quiet year when it comes to highly pathogenic avian influenza. “I’m so happy to say we had no (H5N1) restrictions,” he said. “Even throughout the entire fair season, the county fairs as well.”

He says poultry owners deserve a lot of recognition. “We do have biosecurity protocols and best practices that we certainly encourage.”

Naig says the USDA’s HPAI response plan has been effective.

“We don’t want to have to go through what we just went through the last several years without more tools at our disposal,” he said. “We’re very much pro-vaccine for livestock, not mandatory, but being able to make that available to the industry.”

Naig says his office works closely with Iowa State University Extension, the state vet’s office, and Iowa 4-H and FFA organizations to help plan poultry programming and procedures.

Iowa State Fair Interview: Iowa Ag Secretary Mike Naig