APHIS Announces $14.4 Million to Protect Animal Health

December 10, 2020

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 U.S. 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-consequential 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.

UEP lobbied with other feather groups for the provisions in the 2018 Farm Bill that 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.

National Animal Disease Preparedness and Response Program (NADPRP)

APHIS is awarding $9.3 million through the NADPRP. The 46 funded projects will address critical livestock biosecurity and large-scale depopulation and carcass disposal concerns in all major livestock industries across all regions of the U.S. 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 and seven of the projects have a regional scope; and
  • 27 projects focus on state-specific issues.

National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN)

APHIS is awarding $5.1 million through NAHLN. The 30 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.

Click here for more information about these programs.