The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is awarding more than $22.2 million to enhance prevention, preparedness, early detection and rapid response to the most damaging diseases that threaten U.S. livestock.
These 81 new projects led by 48 states, universities, industry organizations and veterinary diagnostic laboratories aim to increase the nation's ability to rapidly respond to and control animal disease outbreaks. USDA is awarding this funding through the 2018 Farm Bill’s National Animal Disease Preparedness and Response Program and the National Animal Health Laboratory Network. APHIS is also announcing an investment of an additional $900,000 in Farm Bill funds to replenish the national stockpile of classical swine fever vaccine.
“Bolstering animal disease preparedness is crucial because these diseases devastate livestock and hardworking farmers whose animals are affected, and threaten America’s access to safe, healthy, affordable food,” said Jenny Lester Moffitt, under secretary for USDA Marking and Regulatory Programs. “APHIS plays an important leadership role in protecting against current and future threats to U.S. animal health, and these investments are key to supporting this work.”
NADPRP
APHIS is awarding $16.2 million to support new projects through NADPRP. The 74 projects will help states develop and practice plans to quickly control disease outbreaks, train responders and producers to perform critical animal disease outbreak response activities, increase producer use of effective and practical biosecurity measures, educate livestock owners on preventing disease and what happens in an outbreak, and support animal movement decisions in animal disease outbreaks, among other initiatives.
The full list of NADPRP-funded projects is available to view here.
In October 2023, APHIS announced the availability of a separate NADPRP funding opportunity for tribes and tribal organizations. APHIS continues to review the proposals submitted for this opportunity and plans to award that funding in June 2024.
NAHLN
APHIS is awarding over $1 million to NAHLN projects, plus an additional $5 million directly to NAHLN laboratories for infrastructure needs. The projects enhance early detection of high-consequence animal diseases and improve emergency response capabilities in the national network of NAHLN veterinary diagnostic laboratories.
The full list of NAHLN-funded projects is available to view here.
NAVVCB
The National Animal Vaccine and Veterinary Countermeasures Bank allows APHIS to stockpile animal vaccines and other related products to use in the event of an outbreak of certain high-consequence foreign animal diseases, like foot-and-mouth disease virus, African swine fever and classical swine fever. In July 2023, APHIS announced that it would invest $6 million in NAVVCB purchases in FY 2024 including FMD vaccine and diagnostic test kits. In addition, APHIS will use $900,000 in Farm Bill funds to replenish USDA’s inventory of classical swine fever vaccine in FY 2024.
The 2018 Farm Bill provided funding for these programs as part of an overall strategy to help prevent animal pests and diseases and reduce the spread and impact of potential disease incursions with the goal or protecting and expanding market opportunities for U.S. agricultural products.
Source: USDA's APHIS
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