Source: USDA, 12/1/20
The U.S.
Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
(APHIS) is awarding $14.4 million to 76 projects with states, universities, and
other partners to strengthen our programs to protect animal health. This critical funding
supports projects focused on increasing practical livestock biosecurity measures
or advancing rapid depopulation and disposal abilities to be used during high-
consequence animal disease outbreaks. It will also support projects to enhance
early detection of high-consequence animal diseases and improve emergency
response capabilities at NAHLN veterinary diagnostic laboratories. “We continue to use our Farm Bill funds to increase our capabilities and prepare for potential foreign animal disease incursions,” said USDA Undersecretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Greg Ibach. “Our consultation board and leaders in animal health and laboratory diagnostics provided recommendations for the type of projects we would fund, to make sure we were targeting these funds where they can make the most impact. Our partners across States, laboratories and industry alike will benefit from the projects we are funding today.” The 2018 Farm Bill provided
funding for these programs as part of an overall strategy to help prevent
animal pests and diseases from entering the United States and reduce the spread
and impact of potential disease incursions. This is the second year APHIS is
providing this Farm Bill funding. Last year, APHIS provided $10.2 million that
funded 44 projects. NADPRP
APHIS is awarding $9.3 million through the National Animal Disease Preparedness
and Response Program (NADPRP). The 46 NADPRP funded projects will individually
and collectively address critical livestock biosecurity and large-scale depopulation
and carcass disposal concerns in all major livestock industries across all
regions of the United States. These projects will be led by State animal health
authorities in 16 states,14 land-grant universities and 2 industry/veterinary
organizations. The projects will address
increasing practical livestock biosecurity measures, as well as advancing rapid
depopulation and disposal abilities to be used during high consequence animal
disease outbreaks:
- 24
projects will focus on livestock biosecurity;
- 22
projects will focus on large-scale animal depopulation and carcass
disposal in animal disease outbreak response events;
- 12 of the
projects are national in scope;
- 7 of
the projects have a regional scope; and
- 27
projects focus on State-specific issues.
NAHLN
APHIS is awarding $5.1 million through the National Animal Health Laboratory
Network (NAHLN). The 30 NAHLN funded projects will be led by NAHLN laboratories
representing 21 states. The projects will help NAHLN enhance early detection of
high-consequence animal diseases and improve emergency response capabilities at
NAHLN veterinary diagnostic laboratories. Several projects include
improving diagnostic testing for high concern diseases, including African swine
fever, classical swine fever, foot-and-mouth disease and avian
influenza. This year, 10 of the states are receiving their first
Farm Bill funding while 11 states are receiving funds for the second year. A
full list of awarded NADPRP and NAHLN projects
are available. More information about these programs is available at: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/resources/farmbill.
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