USDA Rural Veterinary Action Plan

A shortage of rural veterinarians is being addressed by USA Secretary of Agriculture, Brooke Rollins.

“We've relied on our great team of veterinarians to carry out this mission of protecting livestock and poultry from diseases and pests like the bird flu and the New World screw worm. Bovine veterinarians alone contribute almost a billion and a half dollars in direct economic impact because of a significant increase in education debt for our veterinarian students compared to their potential earnings. A decline in student desire to practice in rural areas is real and a rapidly growing companion animal sector, the lack of rural food animal veterinarians is only expected to worsen unless we step in at USDA animal Plant Health Inspection Service or APHIS and our Food Safety Inspection Service, FS is we have faced our own challenges just at USDA, of competing with private companion Animal clinics to hire and retain qualified veterinarians. This inability to fill even our own positions in both rural areas and in the federal government is alarming and threatens our supply chain.”

Therefore, USDA has released the Rural Veterinary Action Plan.

“We are making an additional $15 million available for the Veterinarian Medicine Loan Repayment Program and streamlining the application process.”

USDA Secretary of Agriculture, Brooke Rollins.