Fur flies as U.S. House, Senate wrangle over ban on mink farming driven by COVID fears

WASHINGTON — The future of an estimated 100 U.S. mink farms may be decided by House and Senate negotiators resolving differences in a massive research and technology package designed to make the nation more competitive with China.

The House competition bill would ban the possession, purchase, receipt, sale or transport of farm-raised mink in domestic and international markets. Appropriations Chair Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., introduced the provision, which would take effect Dec. 31 and includes no mention of compensation.

The Senate last week agreed to Sen. Ron Johnson‘s motion to instruct conferees to block DeLauro’s provision from the final bill. Johnson, R-Wis., represents the nation’s top mink-producing state. His motion received the support of 10 Democrats, including Agriculture Appropriations Chair Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin; Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith of Minnesota, another significant mink-farming state; and Agriculture Chair Debbie Stabenow of Michigan. Maine independent Angus King also supported it. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, who represent Oregon, another mink producer, voted against the Johnson motion. Republicans from Idaho and Utah, two more major producers, supported the motion.

“This is truly one of the more inappropriate additions that the House made to this bill,” Johnson said.

Mink farming doesn’t rank among the high-tech issues that dominate lawmakers’ effort to make the U.S. more competitive, but China accounts for 80% of the industry’s sales, according to Challis Hobbs, executive director of Fur Commission USA. Russia, Ukraine and the rest of Europe, and Canada account for the rest, he said, adding that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine added more uncertainty to a market that saw prices rise in 2020 and 2021.

“What’s next? Is it poultry? It sets a precedent to destroy other animal farming,” Hobbs said. He estimated about 100 farms still operate in his small industry, down from the 275 cited on a group website that he said needs updating. The shrinking number of farms represents a broader trend in agriculture of farmers retiring and remaining operations getting larger.

Supporters of the ban, who put the number of farms closer to 60, say the goal is to shut down a potential animal source of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19 in humans.

Despite what the industry says is a 95% mink inoculation rate with an emergency vaccine developed during the pandemic, critics argue the farms pose a risk because the animals are kept caged and in close quarters. They note outbreaks of the virus in 2020 on farms involving animals possibly transmitting the disease to farmers or farmworkers.