03/15/2023 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 03/16/2023 12:18
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is awarding $15.8 million to 60 projects led by 38 states, land-grant universities, and industry organizations to enhance our 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 (NADPRP).
"Consistent access to safe, healthy, and affordable food is a critical need for all consumers," said Jenny Lester Moffitt, Under Secretary for USDA's Marketing and Regulatory Programs. "These Farm Bill-funded preparation activities are vital to helping us safeguard U.S. animal health, which in turn allows U.S. producers to continue to feed our country and the world."
This year, NADPRP funding supports projects focused on enhancing prevention, preparedness, early detection, and rapid response to the most damaging diseases that threaten U.S. livestock. 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 others.
Some of the projects funded this year include:
In October 2022, 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 May.
A full list of NADPRP-funded projects is available on the NADPRP website here:
https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/animalhealth/animal-disease-information/farm-bill/nadprp/ad-preparedness-response-program
The 2018 Farm Bill provided NADPRP funding 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. Over NADPRP's 4 years, USDA has provided more than $22 million to support more than 120 projects.
More information about these programs is available at: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/resources/farmbill.
USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. In the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is transforming America's food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit www.usda.gov.