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Livestock groups pleased farm bill includes mandatory FMD bank funding

Livestock groups are pleased the 2018 Farm Bill includes mandatory funding for a Foot and Mouth Disease vaccine bank.

Dustin Baker with the National Pork Producers Council tells Brownfield the conference committee report is a positive step forward, and shows the importance placed on animal disease preparedness.

“It’s not exactly what we had asked for to begin with, but listen, we had never asked for money in a farm bill to begin with given the realities surrounding the debate over the last two-plus years.”

The 2018 Farm Bill includes mandatory animal health and disease preparedness funding of $120 million for the first four years of the bill.

National Cattlemen’s Beef Association president Kevin Kester says the FMD bank will provide critical protection to rural economies.

NCBA and NPPC are calling on Congress to vote ‘yes’ on the farm bill and to get it across the finish line soon.