Legislation Would Encourage More Veterinarians to Practice in Rural Areas

Apr 22, 2021

A newly introduced bill backed by the American Farm Bureau Federation would help bring more veterinarians to rural areas.

“Timely veterinary care is key to maintaining the health of our nation’s poultry flocks and dairy and livestock herds. However, a shortage of animal care professionals in many rural areas is putting farm animals at risk, jeopardizing the farms and ranches that care for them, and impacting the stability of our food supply,” AFBF President Zippy Duvall said in a letter to the sponsors of the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program Enhancement Act (H.R. 2447), Reps. Ron Kind (D-Wis,), Adrian Smith (R-Neb.), Kurt Schrader (D-Ore.) and Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.).

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Video: What Does 20 MILLION Hogs a Year Look Like?

?? The Multi-Plant System Processing 20 Million Hogs Annually in the Midwest JBS USA operates multiple large-scale pork processing facilities across the Midwest, including major plants in Iowa, Minnesota, and Indiana. Combined, these facilities have the capacity to process approximately 20 million hogs annually.

Each plant operates high-speed automated slaughter systems capable of processing up to 20,000 head per day, followed by fabrication lines that break carcasses into primals, sub-primals, and case-ready retail products.

Hog procurement is coordinated through electronic marketing platforms that connect regional contract finishing operations and independent producers to plant demand schedules. This digital procurement system allows for steady supply flow and scheduling efficiency across multiple facilities.

Processing plants incorporate comprehensive food safety systems, including pathogen intervention technologies, rapid chilling processes, and integrated cold-chain management. USDA inspection is embedded throughout the harvest and fabrication stages to ensure regulatory compliance and product integrity. Finished pork products — from bulk primals to retail-ready packaged cuts — are distributed through coordinated logistics networks serving domestic and export markets.