Vilsack testifies on USMCA’s dairy benefits at U.S. Senate hearing

Aug 05, 2019

By USDEC Communications

USDEC President and CEO Tom Vilsack testified before the U.S. Senate Finance Committee today. His testimony supported swift ratification of the USMCA by Congress and stressed that food and agricultural exports are critical to America’s rural economy.

Secretary Vilsack was one of six expert witnesses called before the committee to testify about the benefits of the modernized USMCA for achieving more robust and fair trade among the United States, Mexico and Canada. The Secretary reiterated specific gains in the agreement for the U. S. dairy industry, including:

A strengthened U.S. trade relationship with Mexico, the largest U.S. dairy export destination.
Important advances in removing and reforming key trade-distorting Canadian dairy pricing policies—including Classes 6 and 7—and increased dairy access to Canada, a dairy market largely excluded from the current NAFTA framework.

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Video: Inside the Swine Disease Reporting System - Dr. Guilherme Cezar

In this episode of The Swine it Podcast Show Canada, Dr. Guilherme Cezar from Iowa State University explains how the Swine Disease Reporting System (SDRS) tracks emerging disease trends in the U.S. swine industry. He outlines patterns in pathogen activity, including positive developments with Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae and concerning surges in PRRS variants. Gain insights into disease surveillance, biosecurity, and cross-border collaboration potential. Listen now on all major platforms!

"The Swine Disease Reporting System aggregates diagnostic lab data to monitor and interpret trends in nine major swine pathogens."

Meet the guest: Dr. Guilherme Cezar / guilhermec-veterinario-037064168 is a veterinarian and Ph.D. candidate in Veterinary Preventive Medicine at Iowa State University, where he also serves as the Coordinator of the Swine Disease Reporting System (SDRS). With a strong background in swine health, biotechnology, and field epidemiology, he focuses on infectious disease trends and data-driven solutions.