SCHUMER: STANDING AT ALTON’S RESTAURANT IN CHEEKTOWAGA WITH EGG & GROCERY PRICES RISING DUE TO BIRD FLU OUTBREAK CALLS ON FEDS TO SURGE ‘BIOSECURITY’ AND GET ALL HANDS ON DECK TO HELP FARMS CONTAIN BIRD FLU & LOWER COSTS FOR UPSTATE FAMILIES AND RESTAURANTS
Schumer Says Egg Prices Already Increased $2 Per Dozen In Last Two Months And Could Get Worse If New Admin Doesn’t Surge Efforts To Beat Bird Flu; Farmers Do Not Have Resources To Contain Bird Flu Alone, Says Feds Must Ramp Up Efforts NOW Before Prices Climb Higher
With Millions Of Birds Impacted Last Month, And More Bird Flu Being Found In NY Just Last Week, Schumer Says Biosecurity And Increased Fed Response Is Key To Isolate & Contain Bird Flu And Lower Grocery Costs
Schumer: With New Admin, We Can’t Afford To Scramble To Keep Bird Flu Mitigation Going—Or Egg & All Grocery Prices Could Surge
Amid the increasing price of eggs in Western NY and across Upstate New York amid the bird flu outbreak, U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer today stood at Cheektowaga’s beloved Alton’s Restaurant and called on HHS and the USDA to surge funding and get all hands on deck for coordinated federal response to stop the spread causing sky-rocketing egg prices and lower costs for families, diners, and local bakeries.
“Alton’s has been a staple in Western New York for over 40 years, but recently restaurants like Alton’s and families in Buffalo have been shell-shocked by higher egg and grocery prices. Egg prices are skyrocketing because of bird flu, driving costs up for families, farms, diners, and small businesses. In November, a dozen eggs cost about $4 in NY which is already high, but now the average is nearly $6, and with bird flu getting worse this problem could quickly spiral into a crisis,” said Senator Schumer. “Last year I secured millions to help contain this disease and we need the new administration to surge biosecurity efforts to beat back bird flu. We need a robust, coordinated federal response to crack down on bird flu and I am committed to working in a bipartisan way with the new administration to get grocery prices lower and that starts with getting a handle on bird flu. The health of our livestock, our restaurants, and Western NY families’ wallets depend on it.”
For decades, Alton’s has been a beloved cornerstone of Western New York’s culinary scene, serving hearty Greek-American comfort food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Since opening its doors in 1982, the Cheektowaga-based restaurant, owned by Milton Koutsandreas, has built a loyal following with its warm atmosphere and home-cooked meals. However, like many local businesses across the region, Alton’s has felt the strain of rising costs, particularly the significant increase in egg prices. Just a few months ago they were able to get 30 dozen eggs for $50 a case, and now the diner is seeing prices climb to $180 a case.
Some grocery stores are limiting the number of egg cartons consumers can purchase, and the price of eggs in New York State has increased from $4.23 in November to $6.10 as of January 10 according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Roughly 8% of egg supply has been affected by the avian flu nationwide, and experts say prices could increase an additional 20% in 2025 if the bird flu keeps spreading.
Schumer added, “I’ll be pushing for more federal resources in the upcoming budget bill to stop the bird flu, and the feds need to continue prioritizing biosecurity, get all hands on deck for containing bird flu. This will give farmers the resources to isolate, sanitize, and purchase the protective equipment they need.”
More than 20 million egg-laying chickens died last quarter because of bird flu, and last week Long Island’s last commercial duck farm was forced to kill thousands of ducks after health officials detected cases of bird flu, forcing the farm to cease operations. An outbreak in Georgia last week showed how the virus can spread, and Schumer highlighted the need for federal coordination to prevent further spread and support farms in New York and across the country. With infections across the country, there have been fewer eggs available, and decreased supply has led to increasing prices at grocery stores.
“As a restaurant manager, I know firsthand how crucial affordable ingredients are to keeping our business running and our customers happy. Eggs are a staple in so many of the dishes we serve, and rising prices significantly affect our costs and prices - something we always try to avoid,” said Alton’s Restaurant General Manager Audrea Arricale. “I want to thank Senator Chuck Schumer for taking the issue of excessively high food costs seriously.”
“Stable egg prices are critical for the success of Cheektowaga’s local businesses, especially restaurants and grocery stores, which are already navigating the challenges of inflation,” said Cheektowaga Chamber of Commerce President and CEO James Burns. “Senator Schumer’s push to strengthen biosecurity and support farmers in fighting bird flu is essential to keeping costs down for both businesses and families in our community.”
“I thank Senator Schumer for standing up for basic, common sense public health efforts. As the COVID-19 pandemic showed, we need everyone, from global partners and academia to local health departments in the fight together against illnesses like H5N1 highly pathogenic avian flu, which is a looming threat to the public’s health, our economy and our food security,” said Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz.
“I thank Senator Schumer for his efforts to advance a practical solution to an issue that has a concrete impact on all of us. Resources are already in the federal budget and should be expended to address the issue,” said Cheektowaga Town Supervisor Brian Nowak.
Schumer said that the federal government must invest in biosecurity efforts including isolation, sanitation, and more personal protective equipment (PPE). The senator called on the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and National Institutes of Health, among other federal agencies, to engage in a coordinated federal response to manage this bird flu outbreak. HHS invested $300+ million dollars before the new administration took office and the USDA has said that preparedness is the key to keeping Americans healthy and our country safe. Schumer said that as Congress continues to negotiate the Farm Bill, which regulates the federal budget for agricultural-related programs, the new Congress and the new administration must continue to prioritize investing in helping farms detect and contain bird flu.
“The bottom-line here is that we do not want farmers, the feds, or consumers at the grocery store to scramble with this threat of bird flu sustaining into 2025. We want to try and keep grocery prices in check, and that means keeping the new Congress and the new administration laser-focused on ending this latest bird flu outbreak,” said Schumer.
Under the Biden administration, the CDC made plans to award approximately $111 million in funding to enhance our ability to monitor the bird flu at the local, state and national levels, including $103 million to increase monitoring of individuals exposed to infected animals, testing, and outreach to high-risk populations (such as livestock workers) and $8 million to manufacture, store, and distribute influenza diagnostic test kits for virologic surveillance. The NIH made plans to award approximately $11 million in funding for additional research into potential medical countermeasures for the bird flu.
###