High-path avian influenza is not the only disease affecting Minnesota turkey producers.
A new study shows avian metapneumovirus has resulted in the loss of 2.2 million turkeys, an estimated loss of 112-million from last spring to this spring. Ashley Kohls, Executive Director of the Minnesota Turkey Growers Association, headquartered in Buffalo, says losses of this magnitude trickle down to other segments of the agriculture economy…
“There’s also impacts to folks who are supportive of the turkey industry. So you look at the corn and soybean production, their losses are in the millions. But you also look at reduction of labor incomes. This study is Minnesota-specific, and I think it behooves us to mention that it’s only for avian metapneumovirus, not combined with highly pathogenic avian influenza. This disease typically steals headlines, but our turkey growers are also dealing with it.”
Kohls says the 2.2 million turkeys lost to metapneumovirus between April 2024 and April 2025, is more than double the number of birds lost to high-path avian flu.
(content: courtesy MNN)
