The $1 billion elephant in Iowa’s caucus rooms
Iowa gets the first word on presidential nominees through its precinct caucuses, scheduled for Feb. 1, so the Hawkeye State is awash with candidates who are trying to build a bond with voters. “Yet for all their love for everyday Iowans, none of the candidates is getting anywhere near the biggest crisis to hit the state in years – one of the worst animal health emergencies in U.S. history,” says Politico Magazine.
Iowa bore the brunt of the six-month avian influenza epidemic that swept the Midwest and Pacific Northwest, wiping out 31.7 million birds, mostly egg-laying hens and turkeys, of the 48.1 million fowl. The losses in Iowa are estimated at $1 billion.
“You wouldn’t know this from the campaign speeches,” writes Clay Masters of Iowa Public Radio. The issue was not mentioned during two multi-candidate events in the state. Randy Olson, executive director of two Iowa poultry groups, blamed it on “a general lack of awareness of where our food comes from for most of the general public.”
Former GOP state chairman Matt Strawn “suspects more political motives,” say Politico, at a moment when the agricultural economy is on the downturn. “Generally, when you’re dealing with hyper-local public policy or political issues, there is very little upside for a national candidate to weigh into something that may well not have clearly defined ideological lines,” Strawn said.
The USDA estimates that egg production will drop by 5 percent this year due to bird flu, and prices will hit record highs.
The national average price for eggs in the grocery store is the lowest in five weeks – $1.91 a dozen for Large white eggs Grade AA or better, according to the USDA’s National Retail Report. That’s a drop of 12 cents from a week ago but far above the average price of $1.27 a dozen one year ago. While prices are down this week, the USDA says “shoppers are having a difficult time finding incentives for shell eggs as ‘no price’ specials are scarce.” No-price specials are offers such as “buy one, get one free.”