Gov. Kim Reynolds issued the following statement in response to the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship requesting resources from the United States Department of Agriculture and announcing additional response measures:
āEarlier today Secretary Naig informed me about the plan to test dairy cows in areas where cases of HPAI have been confirmed in poultry flocks. I appreciate his and the departmentās proactive response. Because Iowa farmers produce 10 percent of the nationās food supply, protecting the health of our livestock is one of our highest priorities.
āAdditionally, last week I sent a letter to Sec. Vilsack urging the USDA to prioritize and expedite the approval process for animal vaccines designed to combat diseases threatening the agriculture industry. I will continue to advocate for these vaccines to help prevent and control future disease outbreaks.ā
You can find the full press release from the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship here.
You can find Gov. Reynolds letter to Sec. Vilsack here.