Category Archives: USDA

The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is advising the public that the agency is adding European Union (EU) and EU Member State-defined regions of the EU to the APHIS list of regions affected with African swine fever (ASF). APHIS will recognize as affected with ASF any region of the EU that the EU or any EU Member State has placed under restriction because of detection of ASF. These regions currently include portions of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland, and all of Sardinia. APHIS will list the EU- and EU Member State-defined regions as a single entity. The agency is therefore removing Sardinia as an individually listed region from the APHIS list of ASF affected regions. APHIS is taking this action because of the detection of ASF in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland.

In this webinar, ERS Social Science Analyst Alisha Coleman-Jensen will provide an overview of USDA’s annual report on the prevalence and severity of food insecurity in U.S. households in 2014. The report includes changes in food insecurity from previous years, the prevalence of food insecurity by selected household characteristics, and food insecurity among children.

As an accredited veterinarian you are participating in a critical element of US trade with the world. While it might not be obvious that livestock or pets traveling internationally is “trade”, assuring the health of all animals moving to other countries is part of the mission of the US Department of Agriculture. If you are issuing international health certificates for livestock or pets, you and your practice are part of the agricultural trade infrastructure of the United States.

Due to the growing threats from feral swine, Congress has appropriated funds and directed APHIS to implement a national program to manage feral swine damage. The approach selected will serve as the guide for allocation of APHIS resources and for working with cooperators to meet Feral Swine Damage Management (FSDM) program objectives.

Right now, hundreds of veterinarians from my Agency are working around the clock to help egg and turkey producers battle a severe outbreak of avian influenza that has affected 50 million of their birds over the last 6 months. I couldn’t be more proud of our employees and their admirable work alongside veterinarians from State Departments of Agriculture, producers, and thousands of contractors. Together, they are leading the response so that these vital businesses, and all who depend on them, can get back to work as soon as possible.

As part of our commitment to being a customer-focused Agency, APHIS is launching a new, toll-free number to make it easier for stakeholders like you and members of the public to locate Agency resources and information. The phone number is live now, and our program specialists can be reached at 844-820-2234 Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern time. [Source: USDA APHIS Bulletin, June 11, 2015]

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has taken actions to ensure that component agencies include veterinarians in workforce planning efforts for meeting routine needs, but the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has not done so. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has identified top leadership involvement as a key principle for workforce planning. For example, USDA provided guidance to its component agencies to assess and develop strategies for its workforce. In accordance with this guidance, USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS)-the agency that inspects slaughter plants-developed a workforce plan that included recruitment incentives and other strategies for veterinarians. HHS’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also included veterinarians in its workforce plans, but HHS did not provide guidance or direction to FDA or other component agencies to do so. GAO recommended in 2009 that USDA and HHS conduct department-wide assessments of their veterinarian workforces. The efforts of USDA and its component agencies met the intent of the recommendation. GAO believes that the recommendation to HHS is still valid. Direction and guidance from HHS could help integrate its component agencies’ workforce planning efforts for veterinarians into a department-wide assessment. [Source: GAO, May 26, 2015]

In December 2014, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released an Antimicrobial Resistance Action Plan to guide future activities related to antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The Action Plan outlines USDA’s current activities and proposes a comprehensive, integrated approach for future activities that includes surveillance; research and development; and education, extension, and outreach. The USDA Center for Epidemiology and Animal Health has published an info sheet to briefly describe initiatives proposed in the USDA’s Antimicrobial Resistance Action Plan that the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service’s (APHIS) National Animal Health Monitoring System (NAHMS) might be involved in and provides a tentative timetable for implementing the proposed initiatives.

This report examines the integration of North America’s agricultural and food markets as a result of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), implemented in 1994. NAFTA has had a profound effect on many aspects of North American agriculture over the past two decades. [Source: USDA ERS]

The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) recently released its five year strategic plan. The document outlines how the agency plans to achieve its mission to safeguard the health, welfare and value of American agriculture and natural resources. To accomplish its mission, APHIS’ goals are to:Prevent the entry and spread of agricultural pests and diseases (Goal 1).Ensure the humane treatment and care of vulnerable covered animals (Goal 2).Protect forests, urban landscapes, rangelands and other natural resources, as well as private working lands from harmful pests and diseases (Goal 3).Ensure the safety, purity, and effectiveness of veterinary biologics and protect plant health by optimizing our oversight of genetically engineered (GE) organisms (Goal 4).Ensure the safe trade of agricultural products, creating export opportunities for U.S. producers (Goal 5).Protect the health of U.S. agricultural resources, including addressing zoonotic disease issues and incidences, by implementing surveillance, preparedness and response, and control programs (Goal 6).Create an APHIS for the 21st Century that is high-performing, efficient, adaptable, and embraces civil rights (Goal 7).