The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) praised Senate and House lawmakers for approving the 2018 Farm Bill, which includes important mandatory funding for animal disease prevention and preparedness efforts. President Trump is expected to sign the legislation into law in the coming days.

"Obviously, the Farm Bill is extremely important to American agriculture," said NPPC President Jim Heimerl, a pork producer from Johnstown, Ohio.

"The 2018 bill is particularly good for livestock agriculture because it includes funds that will help protect our animals, our food supply and our economy from foreign animal diseases."

The five-year agricultural blueprint includes $120 million for the first four years for animal health and disease preparedness, requiring at least $5 million a year for the National Animal Disease Preparedness Programme.

Money can be allocated for a foreign animal disease vaccine bank; for the National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN), which provides disease surveillance and diagnostic support; and, through block grants, for state efforts to prepare for any foreign animal disease outbreak.

The NAHLN is authorised for another $30 million a year for all five years of the bill, and in the fifth year another mandatory $30 million is allocated for all three programmes, with at least $18 million going to the state block grants.

The bill also gives the Agriculture secretary discretion to allocate additional funds, as necessary, for the vaccine bank and the disease preparedness programme.

In addition to the animal health and disease-preparedness provisions, the bill has funding for the International Market Development Programme, which includes the Market Access Programme and the Foreign Market Development Programme that support export markets for US farm goods. The programmes are funded at not less than $200 million and not less than $34.5 million, respectively.

"NPPC thanks members who voted in favor of this vital legislation and is particularly grateful to the leadership of the Senate and House agriculture committees for putting together a very good Farm Bill," Mr Heimerl said.

As reported by NPPC