U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) urged the Trump Administration to make good on its promise to address avian flu outbreaks and deliver much-needed support to Wisconsin farmers and their workers. Baldwin warns that without urgent action, egg prices could again spike to 2025 levels, when they hit $6 per dozen. Baldwin’s call follows three recent avian flu outbreaks in commercial egg-laying facilities in Wisconsin, which have impacted more than 4.3 million birds and resulted in over 80 layoffs at local Wisconsin farms.
“I write again regarding the ongoing highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreak that continues to devastate our nation’s poultry flocks and dairy herds,” wrote Senator Baldwin in a letter to United States Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins. “The disease has repeatedly disrupted domestic and global agricultural markets and strained household budgets since 2022.”
“These recent outbreaks could potentially repeat the alarming egg prices seen in 2025, which peaked at $6 per dozen. Repeated supply shocks to markets have increased grocery costs across the country, hurting American consumers when affordability concerns are at an all-time high,” Baldwin continued.
Impact On Wisconsin
Since March 2022, Wisconsin has lost 11.6 million birds across 50 commercial and backyard flocks. Between late February and March of this year, Wisconsin has experienced three major outbreaks in commercial poultry flocks, affecting more than 4.3 million egg-laying hens. As a result, two Wisconsin farms have been forced to temporarily lay off more than 80 employees.
In her letter, Senator Baldwin urged the Trump Administration to move forward with finalizing and implementing a national avian influenza vaccination strategy, as included in United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Five-Pronged Approach from February 2025.
In December 2025, Senator Baldwin pushed the Trump Administration to ramp up its avian flu response as the first dairy herd in Wisconsin tested positive for avian flu. Last year, Senator Baldwin also led her colleagues in demanding the Trump Administration release funding for labs that are dedicated to early detection, response, and control of animal diseases and outbreaks like avian flu. Additionally, she called on President Trump to quickly develop a plan to contain the avian flu outbreak that is devastating the nation’s poultry flocks and dairy herds and driving egg costs to reach record highs.
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