APHIS

On Wednesday, the USDA announced the initial purchase of vaccines for the National Animal Vaccine and Veterinary Countermeasures Bank. USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service will invest $27.1 million for foot-and-mouth disease vaccines, which the agency would use in the event of an outbreak. ...

The USDA is seeking public comment on the transition to RFID only ear tags. USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service wants the public input on the proposal where APHIS would only approve RFID  as the official eartag for use in interstate movement of cattle that are required to be identified by the traceability regulations. An offi ...

A proposed rule and new list for reportable animal diseases is now available for public comment in the federal register. Bruce Wagner with USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, said the list updated what animal diseases require mandatory reporting, and to which agencies ...

Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue had good news for Northwest wheat farmers Tuesday.  Effective immediately, U.S. wheat can now be shipped to Kenya regardless of the state of origin or which port of export it comes from.  This important step means that Washington, Idaho and Oregon, can now join the list of states that can ship wheat to Kenya.   “...

Last month, the USDA declared the country completely free of Pulm Pox Virus, a stone fruit tree disease that causes severe yield losses.  Scientists across the U.S. have been battling the virus for 20 years.   "When it broke out in 1999, in Pennsylvania, APHIS and Department of Agriculture asked me to come and be part of the science team and eradication program," said Tim Gottwald is a U

The USDA has paused its effort to mandate RFID ear tags for cattle and bison.  The proposal would have mandated the ear tags for animals moved in interstate commerce beginning in January of 2023.  A guidance document detailing the proposal on the USDA website was recently removed, following a lawsuit against the proposal filed by R-CALF USA.   ...

A lawsuit by R-CALF USA seeks to block the USDA’s mandate of radio frequency identification, or RFID, ear tags for all animals required to have official identification.  R-CALF and other groups filed the lawsuit last week seeking an injunction against Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue and Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Administrator Kevin Shae, who together issued the RFID mandate in

The USDA is investigating the discovery of Genetically Engineered wheat growing in an unplanted field in Washington.  APHIS officials said the wheat in question is resistant to glyphosate, but there is no evidence the wheat in question entered the food supply.  US...

Spring is a time for moving, but many people don't realize that their move may also be helping invasive insects travel too.   "About 35 million Americans move every year, increasing the risk of spreading invasive species and transporting them long distances to areas that are pest-free,” said USDA's Samantha Simon.   T...

Vegetable growers are reminded as we prepare to transition into another growing season to watch for not only well know pests, but new threat that have moved into the area.  Washington State University’s Dr. Tim Waters says with international travel so easy theses days, and so many high value crops grown on the Columbia Basin, growers must be vigilant.   “...