This week the House sent their version of the farm bill to the House-Senate Conference Committee. Included in that was a provision including funding for a foot and mouth disease vaccine bank. The pork industry has been pushing for that. Nebraska Pork Producers Association President Darin Uhlir says that is needed as any F-M-D outbreak in the U.S. would be devastating for the livestock industry.

He’s hoping the Senate which approved authorization for an F-M-D vaccine bank but didn’t include funding will come together in conference with the House and fund the needed vaccine bank.

Uhlir expects the Senate to move their farm bill forward to conference by next week and is hoping they’ll get a final measure passed before the current farm bill expires.

The present farm bill expires September 30.