Tyson Foods and Walmart Stores have joined public health groups in asking House and Senate Appropriators to increase funding for programs combating antibiotic resistance. South Dakota Pork Producers Council President Lester Moeller says his industry welcomes more financial support for antibiotic research.

Moeller says there is no link between antibiotic resistance in humans and antibiotic use in agriculture.

He says pork producers are using antibiotics properly and only to treat sick animals.

Tyson, Walmart and the other groups are hoping the federal funding will help efforts to phase out the use of medically important antimicrobials for growth promotion in food producing animals.