NIFA Invests Nearly $3M in Rural Food Animal Veterinary Medicine Across the U.S.

Jan 19, 2022

NIFA recently announced 17 Veterinary Service Grants Program (VSGP) Awards, seven Education, Extension, and Training (EET) grants and 10 Rural Practice Enhancement (RPE) grants to help mitigate food animal veterinary service shortages in the United States. The goals of the VSGP are to support food animal veterinary medicine through EET funds for accredited schools and organizations and through RPE funds for veterinary clinics that provide services in veterinary shortage situations. This program is designed to support education and extension activities that will enable veterinarians, veterinary students, and veterinary technicians gain specialized food animal skills and practices.

The 2014 Farm Bill authorized the establishment of the VSGP as a companion to the Veterinary Medical Loan Repayment Program (VMLRP) to incentivize service in veterinary shortage situations. Ultimately, VSGP will bolster the capacity of private veterinary practitioners to provide food animal medicine in rural veterinarian shortage locations.

Source : usda.gov

Video: Sow Welfare and Group Housing Systems - Dr. Laya Alves

In this episode of The Swine it Podcast Show Canada, Dr. Laya Alves from the University of São Paulo, in Brazil, discusses how animal welfare regulations are evolving globally and their impact on pig production systems. She explains challenges in group housing, pain management, and euthanasia decisions, while highlighting the role of training and management in improving outcomes and economic sustainability. Listen now on all major platforms!

"Translating welfare requirements into daily farm routines without compromising economic sustainability remains one of the biggest challenges faced by producers globally today."

Meet the guest: Dr. Laya Alves / laya-kannan is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of São Paulo, Brazil, focusing on animal welfare in pig production, including pain management, euthanasia, and economic decision making. Her work integrates welfare science with practical farm management and sustainability. She collaborates globally to develop applied tools for producers.