HYDE-SMITH SEEKS ANIMAL DISEASE QUICK-RESPONSE PLEDGES FROM USDA ASSISTANT SECRETARY NOMINEES
VIDEO: Senator Hyde-Smith Discusses Animal Disease Response Needs with USDA Nominees.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss), with an eye on various animal diseases threatening the livestock and poultry industry, today encouraged the nominees to lead U.S. Department of Agriculture regulatory and research programs to endorse early preparation and rapid response policies to combat outbreaks.
The Senate Agriculture Committee on Wednesday conducted a confirmation hearing for Dudley Hoskins to be Under Secretary of Agriculture for Marketing and Regulatory Programs and Dr. Scott Hutchins, a Mississippi State University alumnus, to be Under Secretary of Agriculture for Research, Education, and Economics.
“Our livestock and poultry industries rely heavily on how the USDA acts to protect our nation from foreign animal diseases,” Hyde-Smith said, citing struggles to combat highly pathogenic avian influenza, African Swine Fever, Foot and Mouth Disease, and perhaps the New World screwworm now spreading in Mexico.
“We’re quickly learning how important it is to be prepared for these outbreaks. I’ve long supported efforts to strengthen programs to help our producers prepare and respond to animal disease outbreaks,” Hyde-Smith said to Hoskins, who she asked how he plans to build on disease response actions already taken by Agriculture Secretary Rollins – a five-pronged strategy to combat the avian flu epidemic and screwworm-related moratorium on livestock imports on the southern border.
Hoskins, who would oversee the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service if confirmed, praised the 2018 Farm Bill for codifying the so-called “three-legged stool” (National Animal Vaccine and Veterinary Countermeasures Bank, National Animal Disease Preparedness and Response Program, and National Animal Health Laboratory Network) to protecting the cattle and beef industry from foreign animal disease outbreaks.
“To me, that is a critical toolbox to APHIS in working with state partners in addressing animal disease issues. If I were confirmed, I would look to double down and help implement and expedite Secretary Rollins’ five-point plan on high-path AI,” Hoskins said. “I would do everything I could to support that work, both with APHIS and the states and the stakeholder industry, to ensure we had the all-hands-on-deck approach we need.”
Hyde-Smith asked Hutchins how he intended to strengthen USDA partnerships with land-grant universities, like Mississippi State, to advance new scientific breakthroughs in American agriculture.
“These research initiatives support American farmers and ranchers in so many ways, including developing and improving crop genetics, advancing animal health capabilities, and creating new tools to fight diseases and pests that adversely affect production agriculture,” Hyde-Smith said. “In my lifetime, I have seen yields increase up to 400 percent at times because of these advancements, which must continue if we're going to provide a safe, abundant, affordable food supply.”
Hutchins, who would oversee the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service (ARS), and other research agencies, said pledged to continue the strong partnership with land-grant institutions.
“The land grant institutions are on the front lines of many of these issues. They have the talent. They have the ability to educate and use Extension [Service]. At Mississippi State, for example – not so much a screw worm, but they had a very similar scenario with the boll weevil. The ARS boll weevil lab, combined with Mississippi State University, actually developed a lot of the techniques and so forth to eradicate that and, if you will, push it back down into um South America,” Hutchins said. “We’ll definitely put the land-grant institutions at the tip of the spear to address these issues, and do everything we can to support.”
The committee will next schedule a business meeting to vote on referring the Hoskins and Hutchins nominations to the full Senate for a confirmation vote.
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