Task force to tackle avian flu menace
Mar 8, 2006 10:04 AM, from staff and wire reports
To prepare truckers for a potential avian flu pandemic, the Avian Flu Task Force has been created by the American Trucking Associations (ATA) Agricultural and Food Transporters Conference.
Fletcher R Hall, executive director of the AFTC, said the task force was formed as a response to the Bush administration's National Strategy for Pandemic Influenza.
"The task force was mobilized to map out industry scenarios and to keep abreast of federal, state, local, community, and business planning initiatives to deal with a potential pandemic," Hall said. "It will focus on issues as they relate to trucking in general and the movement of agricultural and food products by truck in particular.
"A bird flu outbreak by any measure is of highest importance to ag transporters given that over 87% of all meat and poultry moves by truck across the United States each day," he said.
This task force consists of Tommy Windsor of Townsend's, Georgetown DE; Cliff Hicklin of Allen Family Foods, Seaford DE; Ralph Michelson of Gold 'N Plump Poultry, Sauk Rapids MN; Scott Martin of Wenger Feeds, Rheems PA; and Bob Chituras of Foster Farms, Livingstone CA.
