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No compensation for turkey growers hit by Metapneumovirus

Turkey growers are suffering losses from a disease that first appeared in the U.S. a year ago. 

Iowa Turkey Federation executive director Gretta Irwin says poultry health is a concern for growers.

“Whether it’s (highly pathogenic avian influenza), which is in the headlines right now. Or avian metapneumovirus, which is not in the headlines but is having a stronger impact on our industry right now.”

Speaking to Brownfield at the PEAK poultry conference in Minneapolis Tuesday, she said metapneumovirus has quickly spread in the environment, compromising the immune system of birds.

“They’ll go through a period of days where they just don’t feel very well, secondary infections that are very common. And that’s typically what causes the demise of those birds is the secondary infections.”

Irwin says turkey growers have lost as much as 75 percent of their flock without compensation.

“So we’ve been working a lot with USDA (and) FSA, talking about are there some programs like the LIP funding that are based on environmental conditions to create some funding opportunities to help at least cover some of this expense for farmers.”

She says a metapneumovirus vaccine is in development.