Avian metapneumovirus (aMPV) was responsible for the loss of an estimated 2,201,903 turkeys in Minnesota in 2024, according to a newly released economic impact study.
Those bird losses, combined with the fact that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) does not have an indemnity program for producers whose flocks have been affected by aMPV, have led to substantial financial losses for both the Minnesota industry and related industries.
According to the study’s findings, the spread of aMPV in 2024 resulted in the loss of over 2.2 million turkeys, translating to an estimated $112.3 million in lost sales, $17 million in labor income reductions, $31 million in lost value to Minnesota’s economy, and a nearly $8 million dollar reduction in tax revenue to the state’s economy.
The incidence rate of aMPV in Minnesota was derived from a survey of turkey producers across the state.
The study, which is available online, was conducted by Decision Innovation Solutions and commissioned by the Minnesota Turkey Growers Association (MTGA) with support from Minnesota Corn.
“The emergence of aMPV has created a new layer of economic uncertainty for our growers,” said Jake Vlaminck, president of MTGA. “Unlike HPAI (highly pathogenic avian influenza), aMPV is not a reportable disease, meaning farmers are left without financial safeguards to recoup devastating losses. This report re-emphasizes the urgent need for indemnity program support from federal partners.”
About aMPV
A highly infectious respiratory disease, aMPV’s consequences can range from decreased egg production to elevated mortality rates within infected flocks. Secondary infections often complicate the effects of aMPV, contributing to increased mortality rates.
Though transmission routes of the virus remain largely unknown, the rate of transmission has been swift across turkey flocks.
History of aMPV in Minnesota
According to the report, the first case of aMPV in Minnesota – the largest turkey producing state in the U.S. – was detected in April 2024.
The loss of more than 2.2 million Minnesota turkeys to aMPV in 2024 was a significant contributing factor to the decline in the state’s turkey production that year. In 2024, Minnesota produced an estimated 33.5 million turkeys, whereas approximately 37 million turkeys were raised in the state during the previous year.
Minnesota also lost a significant number of turkeys to HPAI in 2024, but a bar chart included in the report shows that the state’s turkey losses to HPAI in 2024 were not as numerous as the losses to aMPV.
Other impacted industries
While the industry most affected by aMPV in Minnesota in 2024 was the poultry industry, the study revealed that other sectors in the state were also harshly affected.
Row crop farmers, grain storage facilities and feed producers were negatively affected by the aMPV outbreak in 2024, as were the truck and rail transportation sectors. Collectively, those sectors had a total loss of $24 million in output and $4.6 million in total value added.
Other industries negatively hit by the aMPV outbreak include wholesalers, owner-occupied housing and financial institutions.
