USDA Awards $22.2 Million in Farm Bill Funding to Protect Animal Health

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is awarding more than $22.2 million to enhance prevention, preparedness, early detection, and rapid response to the most damaging diseases that threaten U.S. livestock. 

These 81 new projects led by 48 states, universities, industry organizations, and veterinary diagnostic laboratories will increase 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) and the National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN). APHIS is also announcing an investment of an additional $900,000 in Farm Bill funds to replenish the national stockpile of classical swine fever vaccine. 

“Bolstering animal disease preparedness is crucial because these diseases devastate livestock and hardworking farmers whose animals are affected, and threaten America’s access to safe, healthy, affordable food,” said Jenny Lester Moffitt, Under Secretary for USDA Marking and Regulatory Programs. “APHIS plays an important leadership role in protecting against current and future threats to U.S. animal health, and these investments are key to supporting this work.”

NADPRP

APHIS is awarding $16.2 million to support new projects through NADPRP. The 74 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.

View the full list of NADPRP-funded projects (209.51 KB).

 In October 2023, 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 June.  

NAHLN

APHIS is awarding over $1 million to NAHLN projects plus an additional $5 million directly to NAHLN laboratories for infrastructure needs. The projects enhance early detection of high-consequence animal diseases and improve emergency response capabilities in the national network of NAHLN veterinary diagnostic laboratories. 

View the full list of NAHLN-funded projects (155.05 KB). 

NAVVCB

The National Animal Vaccine and Veterinary Countermeasures Bank (NAVVCB) allows APHIS to stockpile animal vaccines and other related products to use in the event of an outbreak of certain high-consequence foreign animal diseases, like foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) virus, African swine fever, and classical swine fever. In July 2023, APHIS announced that it would invest $6 million in NAVVCB purchases in FY 2024 including FMD vaccine and diagnostic test kits. In addition, APHIS will use $900,000 in Farm Bill funds to replenish USDA’s inventory of classical swine fever vaccine in FY 2024.

The 2018 Farm Bill provided funding for these programs 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. 

Learn more about these programs.

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, ensuring access to 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.