WASHINGTON (July 8, 2020) – The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association’s (NCBA) today released the following statement in response to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) securing contracts worth $27.1 million to provide foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) vaccines for the National Animal Vaccine and Veterinary Countermeasures Bank (NAVVCB) that was created in the 2018 Farm Bill at the request of NCBA:

“We are pleased to see USDA is moving forward with creating a supply of FMD vaccines in the NAVVCB to ensure ranchers and farmers have timely access to a critical tool in the fight against foreign animal diseases, such as FMD. This is a promising first step forward to begin the work authorized in the 2018 Farm Bill; but, more action is needed to strengthen this newly created vaccine bank,” said NCBA Executive Director of Government Affairs, Allison Rivera. “NCBA will continue to work with USDA, Congress, and other stakeholders to secure future funding, making certain that the entire cattle industry is better prepared for a possible outbreak of FMD.” 

NAVVCB is one component of a three-part program established by the 2018 Farm Bill to comprehensively support animal disease prevention and management. This new program adds to the nation’s level of protection against this devastating disease. In the event of an outbreak, animal health officials would decide when, where and how to use the available vaccine based on the circumstances of the outbreak. NCBA and other members of the animal agriculture community strongly lobbied Congress to include the formation of the NAVVCB in the Farm Bill to provide additional vaccine for use in livestock disease outbreaks, such as FMD.

NCBA news release