By TIM ALEXANDER

Illinois Correspondent

DES MOINES, Iowa — Funding for the establishment and maintenance of a foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) vaccine bank, long espoused by the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) and state pork and beef associations, is reportedly included in the proposed House version of the next federal farm bill.

Language establishing and funding of the FMD vaccine bank was confirmed by the NPPC president last month.

“This is a great first step for the livestock industry,” said Jim Heimerl, an Ohio cattle, hog and sheep producer who is also chair of the NPPC’s Farm Bill Policy Task Force. “Right now, we’re ill-prepared to deal with an FMD outbreak, which would be devastating for pork producers and other sectors of agriculture.”

An infectious disease that strikes cloven-hoofed animals, FMD was last detected in the United States in 1929 but is endemic in other parts of the world. Many animal health experts fear an introduction of FMD in the U.S. could only be a matter of time.

The House Agriculture Committee apparently agrees, calling for first-year mandatory funding of $150 million for the vaccine bank, $70 million in block grants to the states for disease prevention and $30 million for the National Animal Health Laboratory Network for diagnostic support.

The House farm bill – likely targeted for 2019 – also sets aside $30 million in mandatory funding and $30 million to be used at the agriculture secretary’s discretion for the FMD bank during each remaining year of the five-year farm bill.

The NPPC is calling on the House to revise its bill to increase the proposed funding, citing an Iowa State University study showing that if U.S. meat and livestock exports were halted due to a massive FMD contamination, it could cost the beef and pork industries a combined $128 billion over 10 years. In addition, the corn and soybean industries would lose $44 billion and $25 billion, respectively.

“These costs can only be mitigated if the U.S. can mount a swift and robust response once FMD is detected,” Heimerl said.

To be better prepared for a worse-case scenario, NPPC is asking that $150 million be set aside annually for the vaccine bank, $70 million in state block grants and $30 million for the laboratory network each year of the farm bill’s lifespan.

Officials with the Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA), which hosted a mock FMD outbreak response scenario last year at its Springfield headquarters, agree with the need for funding for a robust FMD vaccine bank in the United States.

“The inclusion of funding for the FMD vaccine bank is a much-needed addition to the new farm bill,” the IDOA stated in an email to Farm World. “Animal health officials have been strong advocates for a more robust vaccination strategy in the face of a FMD outbreak in the United States.

“Immediate destruction and disposal of all infected and exposed animals may not be an option in all cases, and the use of vaccine will be critical in slowing the spread of disease. A well-maintained vaccine bank is an important tool in managing a FMD outbreak.”

Dr. Patrick Webb, director of swine health programs for the National Pork Board, said during the March 2017 FMD crisis drill in Springfield that local effects from the loss of the pork and beef industries would equate to about 59,000 full-time jobs. He also pointed out the relative ease and rapidity with which FMD spreads through herds and buildings, making livestock a “perfect host” for the disease.

“This is an animal disease that infects the most species,” he said. “There are seven (primary) types and 60 different subtypes of FMD that affect cloven-hoofed animals.

“Sheep are what I call the covert operators for FMD. They don’t really show a lot of signs. Pigs are hands-down awesome at producing FMD in the respiratory tract. Cattle are really good at getting FMD through aerosol, and they act as an indicator species; if there is FMD in the air, they will be the first to get it. FMD is kind of an animal-commingling nightmare.”

In Illinois alone, more than 2,000 farms produce more than 5 million hogs, contributing more than $1.8 billion to the state’s yearly economy. This generates more than $170 million in tax revenue while providing more than 21,900 jobs, according to the Illinois Pork Producers Assoc.