Regional leaders in livestock production, the veterinary community and the feed supply industry will be among the speakers at a Sept. 11 workshop in Amarillo. Organized by Farm Foundation, NFP, the workshop is an opportunity for participants to gain a comprehensive understanding of two Guidance for Industry (GFIs) issued by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regarding the use of medically-important antimicrobial drugs in food-producing animals, as well as the FDA’s revised Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD).
These actions mean some drugs will see label changes allowing only therapeutic uses, and veterinary oversight will be needed in the form of a veterinarian’s prescription for the drug, direct administration by a veterinarian, or a veterinary consultation on disease management protocols.
The Sept. 11 workshop is targeted to pork, cattle, poultry and sheep producers, as well as veterinarians and feed suppliers in Texas, eastern New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas, and southeastern Colorado. The workshop will be 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. CDT at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research Extension Auditorium, 6500 Amarillo Blvd. West, Amarillo.
There is no charge to participate, but advance registration is requested. Registration can be completed online, or by going to the Farm Foundation website. The workshop is also an opportunity for other stakeholders, such as state and federal agencies, colleges of veterinary medicine and university extension personnel, to gain insights into the changes needed to meet the requirements.
Providing information at this workshop will be:
- Michael Murphy, DVM, Ph.D., JD, of the FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine
- Kathe Bjork, DVM, of the Antimicrobial Resistance Program at USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)
- Thomas Portillo, DVM, a private veterinary practitioner in Amarillo
- Brice Tabor, Hi-Pro Feeds
A regional producer and a regional feed supplier will also be part of the program. Kevin Ochsner of Adayana Agribusiness Group, will moderate the workshop. Breakout discussion sessions will allow producers, veterinarians and feed suppliers to identify and discuss the management challenges ahead.
To gauge awareness of the changes being put in place by FDA, and to learn more about the potential implications of these changes, Farm Foundation is asking stakeholders to complete a brief survey. The survey is open to all livestock producers, feed suppliers and veterinarians, whether or not you attend the workshop. CLICK HERE to complete the survey. Survey results will only be gathered and reported in the aggregate. Survey results will be shared with workshop participants.
This will be an opportunity for farmers, ranchers, feed suppliers, veterinarians, academics and government agency staff to advance the conversation on the industry’s adaptation to the changing landscape of antimicrobial drug use.
Many producers and businesses across the entire food and agricultural value chain have already taken action to reduce the use of medically-important antimicrobial drugs in food animal production. FDA’s GFI 209 and GFI 213 call on animal drug sponsors of approved medically-important antimicrobials administered through medicated feed or water to remove production uses (i.e., to promote growth or improve feed efficiency) from their product labels, and bring the remaining therapeutic uses of these products—to treat, control, or prevent disease—under the oversight of a veterinarian. Manufacturers of products containing these medically-important antimicrobial drugs have voluntarily agreed to submit changes to their product labels to comply with the GFIs. FDA’s revised VFD addresses the increased veterinary oversight of medicated feeds called for by GFI 209 and 213.
In addition to Farm Foundation’s leadership, individual producers and many companies are providing financial support for this educational effort. These include JBS United, Hormel Foods Corporation, Jennie-O Turkey Store, Rose Acre Farms, Elanco Animal Health, J.R. Simplot Company, Irsik and Doll, Hardin Farms, C-ARC Enterprises, National Pork Producers Council, the National Pork Board, and North American Meat Institute.