Animal Agriculture Coalition Applauds Animal Health Provisions in 2018 Farm Bill Conference Report

WASHINGTON, Dec. 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Members of the Animal Agriculture Coalition released a statement applauding animal health provisions included in the 2018 Farm Bill Conference Report, which was sent to President Trump's desk for signature earlier today:

"America's livestock and poultry producers, in concert with veterinarians, work hard to ensure the health of the animals they raise. They play a central role in not only providing nutritious food for families across the U.S., but also in creating jobs and contributing to our country's economic stability. That's why producers and veterinarians agree that one of our greatest priorities must be to lessen the impact of devastating animal diseases with a one-of-a-kind program that will strengthen our ability to rapidly identify and respond to them.

"We are pleased that the 2018 Farm Bill Conference Report recognizes this need and provides mandatory funding for research into animal health and diseases as well as measures to help the animal agriculture industry act quickly when concerns are identified. This investment in animal health is a good start and will help ensure that the industry is better prepared now and into the future – simply put, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

"We thank Chairman Conaway, Chairman Roberts, Ranking Member Peterson and Ranking Member Stabenow, as well as their teams, for their dedicated efforts to deliver the Conference Report. Providing greater certainty to the animal agriculture industry by putting a functioning plan in place to address potential issues is critically important. We applaud Congress for moving quickly to pass the Farm Bill Conference Report and send it to President Trump to be signed into law before the end of the year."

Signed by the following animal agriculture groups:

Alabama Poultry & Egg Association
American Association of Avian Pathologists
American Association of Bovine Practitioners
American Association of Mycobacterial Diseases
American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians
American Dairy Goat Association
American Dairy Science Association
American Feed Industry Association
American Goat Federation
American Horse Council
American Rabbit Breeders Association, Inc.
American Sheep Industry Association
American Society of Animal Science
American Veterinary Medical Association
Animal Agriculture Alliance
Animal Health Institute
Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges
Association of Veterinary Biologics Companies
Biotechnology Innovation Organization
California Poultry Federation
Catfish Farmers of America
Chicken & Egg Association of Minnesota
Colorado Egg Producers
FASS, Inc.
Florida Poultry Federation
Global Cold Chain Alliance
Indiana Dairy Producers
Indiana State Poultry Association
International Association of Refrigerated Warehouses
Iowa Poultry Association
Iowa Turkey Federation
Kansas Livestock Association
Kentucky Poultry Federation
Livestock Marketing Association
Michigan Allied Poultry Industries
Minnesota Turkey Growers Association
Mississippi Poultry Association
Mycobacterial Disease of Animals Multistate Initiative
National Assembly of State Animal Health Officials
National Association for the Advancement of Animal Science
National Association of Federal Veterinarians
National Association of State Departments of Agriculture
National Dairy Herd Information Association
National Grain and Feed Association
National Milk Producer's Federation
National Pork Producers Council
National Renderer's Association
National Turkey Federation
New Mexico Wool Growers
North American Meat Institute
North Carolina Poultry Federation
Ohio Poultry Association
PennAg Industries Association
South Carolina Poultry Federation
South Dakota Poultry Industries Association
Texas Poultry Federation
The Poultry Federation: Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Kansas
U.S. Dairy Forage Research Center Stakeholder Committee
U.S. Poultry and Egg Association
United Egg Association – Further Processors Division
United Egg Producers
United States Animal Health Association
Virginia Poultry Federation
Wisconsin Poultry & Egg Industries Association

PRESS CONTACTS
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Cell: 540-290-3965
Cat Ulrich, 202-289-3213
Cell: 202-740-1659

SOURCE American Veterinary Medical Association