Under the new farm bill, USDA will be able to use $150 million over the next five years for a foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) vaccine bank, for the National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN), and for state efforts to prepare for any foreign animal disease outbreak. ( Pirbright Institute )
Livestock farmers have achieved an unprecedented victory in the 2018 farm bill conference report passed through the Senate on Tuesday and the House on Wednesday, says Dustin Baker, National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) director of economics and domestic production issues.
“The United States has been ill-prepared to deal with a foreign animal disease outbreak for quite some time,” Baker says. “The farm bill’s multifaceted approach to surveillance, diagnostics and vaccines is critical to safeguard the health and well-being of our animals, rural economies and the safety of the food supply.”
