Animal health agenda to profit from Bush budget

Washington-If President George W. Bush's proposed fiscal 2003budget for USDA gets the congressional nod, animal disease safeguardingand food safety initiatives would be beneficiaries of a generous boost offunds.

The 2003 Budget proposes an increase of $75 million in pest and diseaseexclusion and monitoring programs to guard against the threat of foreignanimal diseases, such as Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD), entering the UnitedStates.

The 2003 Budget also proposes to fund the ongoing costs of combatinginfestations through the annual budget request to the Congress-and proposesa $175 million increase for these activities-rather than through emergencyfunding authority.

Primarily the budget increase is appropriated for USDA initiatives toeliminate or reduce animal and plant diseases or pests, while concurrentlythe administration also pushed for record levels of financial resourcesfor USDA food inspection programs.

Of interest to the federal government is a schemed outbreak of foot-and-mouthdisease and mad cow disease, which could become public and animal healthcatastrophes. In the meantime, USDA plans to increase surveillance for animaldiseases.

Bush has called for a net increase of $28 million over the current spendingfigures for the Food Safety and Inspection Service.