The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association seeks more funding for the Foot and Mouth Disease vaccine bank from the next Farm Bill.
Allison Rivera, NCBA Executive Director of Government Affairs, explains. “We did create this bank so that down the road if for our pork friends, if there’s an ASF vaccine and they want it in there, then we can find some dollars and pop it in there. But with this vaccine bank, we did get a little bit of funding last time around. We’d like to see some more funding. The amount of money that we’ve asked for last time and that we’re asking for again this time is based off a study out of Iowa State from our friend, Dr. Roth. So, this go around we are again asking for more of those dollars so that we can make sure that we have enough antigen and that our bank is robust.”
As outbreaks of FMD have occurred off the coast of Australia and Indonesia, Rivera said, FMD is around the globe, so it is important to be prepared in the U.S.
Rivera also talked about the USDA recently awarding funding through the 2018 Farm Bill’s National Animal Disease Preparedness and Response Program. “Things like NADPRP have allowed for states to apply for grants to be better prepared in the case of a foreign animal disease outbreak. So, the Secure Beef Supply plan is another great show of those resources. of those government dollars that are going towards better preparing our states to work together in the case of a foreign animal disease outbreak.”
Story provided by NAFB News Service and KC Sheperd, Oklahoma Radio Network, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
