The National Pork Producers Council is pleased that the 2018 Farm Bill contains important mandatory funding for animal disease prevention and preparedness efforts. The five-year bill includes $120 million in funding for the first four years of the legislation going to animal health and disesase preparedness. At least $5 million a year will go directly to the National Animal Disease Preparedness Program. Money can go to a national disease vaccine bank; to the National Animal Health Laboratory Network, which provides disease and diagnostic support; and, through block grants, go to state efforts to prepare for any foreign animal disease outbreak. The Animal Agriculture Coalition is also pleased with the animal health provisions in the farm bill. “Livestock and poultry producers, working together with veterinarians, work hard to ensure the health of the animals they raise,” the coalition says in a statement. “They play a central role in feeding the nation’s families, as well as providing jobs that contribute to economic stability. That’s why producers and veterinarians agree that preventing the impact of devastating animal diseases must be a high priority.” The organization is pleased the bill provides funding for research into animal diseases, as well as the ability to respond if diseases are identified in the nation’s herds and flocks.
