Iowa Turkey Federation officials will fly to Washington D.C. to meet with legislatures Monday.
Iowa Turkey Federation Executive Director Gretta Irwin said her constituents would ask for additional assistance, in the case of another Avian Influenza outbreak.
?We will be looking for some funding within the Farm Bill, to support more surveillance and feet on the ground, or people, to help with Avian Influenza,? Irwin said. ?We definitely saw that there?s a need for better diagnostics, better testing and better surveillance of the flocks and industry when we have an outbreak, and before any outbreaks happen.?
Irwin said her constituents would also discuss exports and the importance of trade relations with Canada and Mexico throughout the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
?Canada is a big exporter market for us. Our biggest one (exporter), obviously, is Mexico. A lot of our dark meat turkey products go to Mexico to be further processed, so it?s not only creating jobs in the U.S., but also in Mexico,? Irwin said.
Irwin said the Iowa Turkey Federation would like to see the NAFTA agreement to remain relatively the same, as exports have played an important role in the economic profitability within the turkey industry.
?We?re averaging closer to $2.50 per turkey. The economic value is generated back to exports, so the availability to export our turkey products is huge for our industry. Any agreement that allows us to continue to export our proteins around the world is to the betterment of our industry.?
