A high debt load can cripple even the most productive of farmers and farming operations.
The same is true for rural veterinarians.
Many leave the business for higher-paying jobs in other industries after only a few years in practice, according to the American Association of Bovine Practitioners (AABP). Likewise, college students eye the expense of veterinary school and decide another career looks like it can offer a better opportunity – and fewer associated costs.
College is an increasingly expensive venture, and an advanced degree is even more so. The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) reports students graduating from veterinary school in 2020 had an average total debt of $188,853 mostly in student loans.
That all adds up to bad news for livestock producers who need access to good healthcare for cattle, hogs, horses and other livestock.
A new partnership between the Farm Journal Foundation in partnership and Zoetis Foundation is working to address the debt problem. The partners want to ease student debt and, in the process, increase the number of rural veterinarians.
Read the full story in Farm Journal’s Pork.
[Source: Farm Journal’s Pork 20 April 2022]