US 2005 budget to include increased funding for BSE related activities
US Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Veneman today announced that President Bush’s Full Year 2005 budget for the U.S. Department of Agriculture would include an increase of $47 million for the USDA’s Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) prevention program.
“The Bush Administration remains committed to protecting public health and the safety of our food supply,” Veneman said during remarks to the 2004 Cattle Industry Annual Convention and Trade Show, held in
The President will request a total of $60 million for BSE related activities; a $47 million or 377 percent increase over FY 2004. The total requested includes:
· $33 million to further accelerate the development of a national animal identification system;
· $17 million for the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to collect 40,000 samples and tests for BSE at rendering plants and on farms;
· $5 million for the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) to conduct advanced research and development of BSE testing technologies;
· $4 million for the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) to conduct monitoring and surveillance of compliance with the regulations for specified risk materials and advance meat recovery; and
· $1 million for the Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) to dispatch rapid response teams to markets experiencing BSE related complaints regarding contracts or lack of prompt payment.
Veneman also said the Administration is considering a proposal to transfer emergency funds from the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) to help finance these activities for FY 2004, including the implementation for the a national animal identification programme. USDA transferred $10.5 million from the CCC last fall to APHIS to double the testing for BSE in cattle from 20,000 to 40,000 in FY 2004.
