The U.S. Department of Agriculture will receive $2.29 million in funding from the National Animal Health Laboratory Network Farm Bill program to protect animal health and ensure the safety of the nation’s food supply.
The money will enable USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to improve and expand disease testing, data management and high-throughput laboratory testing, according to an April 21 news release. Funding will be used for stockpiling efforts, IT standardization and diagnostic testing instruments.
“These Farm Bill funding awards will strengthen our ability to carry out our strategies for animal health emergency preparedness and better safeguard our agricultural industry,” USDA Marketing and Regulatory Programs Under Secretary Jenny Lester Moffitt said in the release. “The more prepared we are to protect our agricultural commodities, the safer the food supply is for Americans and the rest of the world.”
The NAHLN is a coordinated partnership of federal, state and university-associated animal health laboratories that tests for foreign and endemic high-consequence pathogens in food animals within the country, the release reported. Funding supports projects aimed at preventing animal pests and diseases from entering the U.S., reducing the spread and impact of potential disease incursions.
The laboratories within the NAHLN are the first line of defense in diagnosing and detecting the extent of outbreaks if foreign animal diseases strike, the release said.
The funding is provided through the 2018 Farm Bill, which helps support advance planning and preparedness to prevent pests and diseases from entering the country in addition to stopping the spread of diseases, according to the release.
USDA is focused on building more resilient local and regional food production with fairer markets for producers, the release reported. It aims to ensure access to safe, healthy and nutritious food in all communities while removing systemic barriers within the department itself to build an equitable workforce.
USDA works to use climate-smart food and forestry practices to build new markets and sources of income for farmers while making historic investments in the nation's infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural areas, the release said.
