Six projects in Texas were awarded funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS).

Five of the projects were submitted by Texas A&M University, and one project was submitted by the Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC).

They are among the 68 new projects approved by USDA.

“These projects will provide producers, veterinarians and states with tools to better control, treat and recover from foreign animal disease outbreaks,” APHIS Administrator Michael Watson said. “These efforts directly support USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins’ efforts to ensure farmers, ranchers and producers have the support they need to keep feeding, fueling and clothing America.”

Texas A&M projects that received funding include $330,864 for preparing for the New World screwworm, a pest that has been identified in Mexico and can cause devastating impacts to the livestock and wildlife industries in Texas and the U.S.

Also included is $257,362 for evaluating decontamination strategies for waste milk from cows infected with transboundary and zoonotic viruses and $199,832 for enhanced emergency preparedness between the poultry industry and state animal health officials.

Texas A&M will receive $145,055 for establishing a community of practice to support foreign animal disease response in the U.S., as well as $216,772 for developing a national point-of-care diagnostic testing use-case matrix for foreign animal disease outbreaks.

TAHC will receive $138,759 for advancing knowledge of animals entering the state of Texas.

The funds were awarded through the 2018 Farm Bill’s National Animal Disease Preparedness and Response Program. The program became permanent under the Animal Health Protection Act. It is part of an overall strategy to help prevent animal pests and diseases and reduce the spread and impact of potential disease incursions with the goal or protecting and expanding market opportunities for U.S. agricultural products.

The projects will help address gaps in animal disease outbreak emergency response, increase producer’s use of gold-standard biosecurity measures, train producers and responders to carry out animal disease outbreak response activities, help states and Tribes develop and exercise animal disease emergency response plans and help producers who are impacted by animal disease outbreaks recover quickly.

View the full list of funded projects.