U.S. Sen Tammy Baldwin, D-Wisconsin, is asking U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to provide “immediate assistance” for Wisconsin growers impacted by Pure Prairie Poultry’s bankruptcy filing and ceasing of operations.
Pure Prairie Poultry, a Minnesota-based company that operated a poultry plant in Charles City, Iowa, in September filed for bankruptcy and later that month revealed that it no longer had the financial ability to provide feed for the chickens. The company had contract growers in Wisconsin, Iowa and Minnesota.
“I urge to use your resources and authority to mitigate this hardship for impacted farms in Wisconsin,” Baldwin wrote in a letter to Vilsack.
“This situation remains urgent due to the hundreds of thousands of animals’ lives at risk and the financial hit for the farmers that contracted with this processor. I believe there is a strong case for the agency to intervene based on the animal welfare concerns. There is also an ongoing outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza that poses a serious risk of spreading as farmers have no better option than to give away chickens by the tens of thousands. The hardship for producers and potential threat of this disease underscores the need for timely support for Wisconsin farmers.”
Baldwin, who last week was the recipient of American Farm Bureau Federation’s “Friend of Farm Bureau” award, suggested that USDA, under Vilsack’s leadership, take the following measures:
- Engage with the Wisconsin State Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection to locate all impacted producers
- Provide feed and or financial assistance to all impacted farmers “to make them whole again”
- Provide recommendations for legislative or regulatory solutions to ensure similar animal emergencies never happen again.
Earlier action in Iowa, Minnesota
In early October, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) was granted an emergency court order to take immediate care, custody and control of about 1.3 million broiler chickens that were be raised for Pure Prairie Poultry within the state of Iowa. The company contracted with 14 farms throughout the state, IDALS stated in a press release.
Minnesota Department of Agriculture Communications Director Allen Sommerfeld told Minnesota’s New Country that the agency was getting involved to help the six producers in that state also affected by the situation.
“The Minnesota Department of Agriculture, along with state and federal partners, have been working to ensure the chickens in Minnesota are fed and we have been seeking a processing solution for the animals. We also continue to support the Minnesota farmers involved in the situation,” Sommerfeld said.
