By: Samantha Bartlett

The 2018 farm bill provided funding to disease prevention, emergency response training and laboratory diagnostic improvement programs. In January, the Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) awarded 10.2 million to support these projects. Efforts by House Agriculture Committee chairman Collin Peterson of Minnesota and House Agriculture Livestock and Foreign Agriculture Subcommittee chairman Jim Costa of California pushed for long term funding to address risks of diseases such as African swine fever, avian influenza, chronic wasting disease, virulent Newcastle Disease and Foot and Mouth disease (FMD). Also in development is the National Animal Vaccine and Veterinary Countermeasures Bank (NAVVCB).

APHIS awarded $5.2 million through the National Animal Disease Preparedness and Response Program (NADPRP). Projects funded through this program focus on training animal agriculture sector responders. APHIS is awarding $5 million through the National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN). These projects will be led by NAHLN laboratories to address test method development and validation and enhancing emergency preparedness. 

APHIS is continuing its efforts to develop the NAVVCB. Priority is increasing the stockpile of FMD vaccines. APHIS announced a Request for Proposals to acquire FMD vaccines. Their target goal is to spend 15 to 30 million dollars on vaccines by the end of 2020.