U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins today announced a commitment to new actions (PDF, 1.2 MB) to increase the number of rural food animal veterinarians across the U.S. and recruit new veterinarians to join the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in their role to protect American ranchers, animals, and our food supply.
Secretary Rollins also announced two awardees of the Veterinary Services Grant Program which will allow for expanded capabilities to serve livestock producers in rural Mississippi and opened a new consolidated USDA office with the Rural Development, the Farm Service Agency, and the Mississippi Farm Bureau in line with USDA’s reorganization efforts. The Secretary was joined by Governor of Mississippi Tate Reeves, Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith of Mississippi, Mississippi State University (MSU) President Dr. Mark Keenum, and Mississippi Farm Bureau President Mike McCormick.
“Rural veterinarians are vital for the agricultural economy in the United States. Our farmers and ranchers rely on these critical services to prevent the transmission of animal disease, protect our food supply, and support America’s rural economy. As the number of rural food animal veterinarians continues to decline, USDA is putting Farmers First to ensure we build back our first line of defense in our animal food production system – the rural veterinarian.
Source : usda.gov