Elon Musk ignited a contemporary controversy on Thursday, claiming on X that President Joe Biden’s administration ordered an “insane slaughter of 150 million egg-laying chickens,” resulting in greater egg costs. Nevertheless, the mass culling of contaminated birds has been a long-standing USDA coverage—one which was additionally adopted below former President Donald Trump.
Musk’s feedback have been in response to a viral publish blaming Biden for rising egg costs. “It’s true,” Musk wrote. “There was an insane slaughter of 150 million egg-laying chickens ordered by the Biden administration.”
What’s actually taking place?
The reality is that the USDA’s stamping-out coverage requires that birds contaminated with extremely pathogenic avian flu, or uncovered to it, be depopulated to stop additional unfold. For the reason that outbreak started in February 2022, an estimated 166 million birds have been culled, reported Forbes.
Whereas the majority of the culling occurred below Biden, the coverage stays unchanged below Trump, with a minimum of 13 million birds culled since February. The USDA has lengthy maintained that there isn’t a remedy for chicken flu and that mass culling is the one approach to include outbreaks.
Is Trump altering the coverage?
Regardless of his administration criticizing Biden for mass cullings, Trump has not altered the coverage. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins not too long ago introduced a $1 billion funding to assist poultry farmers fight the disaster—however there isn’t a official plan to cease culling contaminated flocks.
USDA officers have said that they’re exploring methods to cut back the necessity for mass depopulation, however no modifications have been made.
Egg costs and political blame recreation
Egg costs have surged because of the chicken flu outbreak, with January costs up 53% year-over-year, in accordance with the Client Value Index. Trump allies, together with Musk and Rollins, have used excessive egg costs as a political weapon towards Biden. Nevertheless, since Trump took workplace, egg costs have continued to rise, with some grocery shops limiting egg purchases and eating places like Waffle Home and Denny’s including surcharges to egg-based meals.
Whereas Musk’s declare provides gas to the talk, the truth is that each administrations have adopted the identical coverage, and egg costs stay an issue below Trump’s watch.
