When USDA paused Minnesota’s federal funds, the Willmar bird flu laboratory was included

The funding freeze from the Trump administration has cut off vital dollars for a poultry lab in Willmar fighting the bird flu that has rattled Minnesota’s turkey industry.

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins last week announced a freeze in nearly $130 million in federal agriculture dollars to the state, saying Minnesota needs to account for the funds in the wake of a far-reaching fraud scheme.

Programs affected include the Willmar lab operated by the University of Minnesota, which is little-known but highly vital for farmers trying to fight bird flu and other diseases. The Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza has for several years hit the state’s turkey industry, which leads the nation.

“These are economically devastating diseases,” said Hemant Naikare, director of the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory at the University of Minnesota. “All of the USDA budget, right now, is 100% paused.”

The laboratory collects samples transported directly from turkey farms to, among other things, test for animal diseases.

There are varied funding streams. Federal funding is up to $1.5 million annually, no more than 10% of the budget, Naikare said.

But cutting the federal funds means the center has to charge farmers for tests normally paid for by the USDA.

As of Wednesday, Jan. 14, Naikare said USDA officials assured him they were seeking an exemption given the facility is “mission critical.”

A spokesperson for USDA did not respond to a request for comment.

An additional $1 million approved last fall by Congress for an expansion of the Willmar diagnostic center will not be impacted, Naikare said.

Even a momentary disruption can be distracting when the state maintains its fight against the ongoing bird flu pandemic.

As of Jan. 14, Minnesota had 16 active cases of avian influenza in Minnesota, the most recent being a 9,000-bird commercial flock in neighboring Meeker County that tested positive.

Rollins blasted the state’s government fraud scandal and paused $129.2 million in USDA grant funding to Minnesota and the city of Minneapolis, calling for “justifications” within 30 days for every dollar spent since Inauguration Day.

“Enough is enough,” Rollins said, in a post to X. “No more handouts to thieves.”

Almost immediately, backlash poured in, with critics charging that the federal authorities were withholding vital funds for food assistance at a time when USDA and the Health and Human Services Department, under Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., have prioritized healthy foods for families.

“I’ll see you in court,” replied Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison in a post to X.