Pennsylvania Poultry Farms Get $25M Bird Flu Aid

Farms inside 3-kilometer infected zones can seek full reimbursement on losses up to $100,000 before the Sept. 10 round-one deadline.

Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Birds

Isometric editorial illustration of a grain silo beside a long poultry house on flat farmland, in muted oxblood, teal, and mustard tones. — Pennsylvania opened a $25 million grant program on Aug. 10 letting poultry farms in avian-flu infected zones seek reimbursement for losses up to $100,000 before the Sept. 10 deadline. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Should government use public money to help farms recover from disease outbreaks?

Pennsylvania has opened a $25 million HPAI Recovery Reimbursement Grant Program for poultry producers and integrators hit by avian influenza, which has forced the loss of more than 4.2 million birds on 17 farms in Lancaster and Berks counties. The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture administers the program, and the first round is limited to farms in 3-kilometer infected zones, with an application deadline of Sept. 10.

Why it matters

Poultry farms that were placed inside control or quarantine zones lost income through no fault of their own, and the grant is meant to offset demonstrable financial losses for farms, integrators and allied industries across Pennsylvania. The state's poultry sector contributes $7.1 billion to the economy and supports 26,600 jobs, which is why the state is moving to stabilize producers now that all Control Areas have been lifted.

The program provides $25 million, and losses up to $100,000 are reimbursed at 100%. The first round covers 91 affected poultry farms identified in 3-kilometer infected zones, with applications mailed directly to those producers.

The players

Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture

The state agency that administers the HPAI Recovery Reimbursement Grant Program and oversees the poultry industry's animal health response.

The details

Round one is open only to poultry farmers and integrators located in 3-kilometer infected zones defined by the General Quarantine Order, roughly 1.86 miles from an infected site. Losses over $100,000 may be reimbursed on a percentage basis, determined by the number of applications received and the funding available. Reimbursement covers farms, integrators and allied industries that can prove demonstrable financial losses from being inside a control or quarantine zone.

July 27: All Control Areas around infected farms were lifted.
Sept. 10: Round one grant application deadline.

The Home Front

Poultry is a core part of Pennsylvania's rural economy, and the General Quarantine Order's 3-kilometer infected zones are what determine which producers qualify first. Round one reaches only the 91 farms inside those boundaries, while a later round will extend assistance as funding and information allow.

If you keep poultry or live near a commercial flock, check whether your area was inside a 3-kilometer infected zone and watch for the application mailing if you are a listed farm. Keep records of any financial losses tied to the quarantine, since reimbursement depends on demonstrable proof.

The takeaway

Losses from avian influenza can ripple far beyond the barn, which is why state grant programs focus on farms caught inside quarantine zones. If you keep birds, keep a dated log of flock health, movements and any losses so you can document them quickly if assistance becomes available.