Lawmakers want state better prepared for animal disease outbreaks

Some state lawmakers think the University of Minnesota needs to beef up its veterinary diagnostic lab to better prepare for foreign animal diseases.

A first step toward that goal was taken Tuesday by the House Agriculture and Food Finance and Policy Division when it approved HF3296.

Sponsored by Rep. Jeanne Poppe (DFL-Austin), the division chair, the bill would appropriate $675,000 to improve the university’s diagnostic lab through equipment, software and programming.

It was referred it to the House Capital Investment Division. The companion, SF3057, is sponsored by Sen. Bill Weber (R-Luverne) and awaits action by the Senate Agriculture, Rural Development, and Housing Finance Committee.

Rep. Jeanne Poppe

David Preisler, CEO of the Minnesota Pork Producers Association, said Congress has passed federal legislation to do border inspections for things like African swine fever and foot-and-mouth disease, but if a foreign animal disease arrived here, the state needs to be prepared.

African swine fever, for example, destroyed about half of China’s hog herd. Half of the world’s hogs are in China, “so a quarter vanished,” Preisler said.

The money would add more automation and robotics to enable the lab to handle a surge in tests of animals – the lab could handle 2.5 times as many tests and reduce sample handling time and loading errors by 30 percent, Preisler said.

He said avian influenza tested and strained the lab’s capacity, and added funding would be a “hedge on the future.”

Nobody from the university testified on the bill, leading Rep. Rod Hamilton (R-Mountain Lake) to ask about the university’s position. Poppe said the university has its bonding requests, and while she thinks this should be a top priority, she’s “not sure it is.” She’s pursuing the bill “because we understand the need.”

Hamilton said a land grant university should make emerging animal diseases a priority.

“I believe it’s shameful for not taking a strong position,” he said. “It’s absolutely critical that our university is prepared to deal with stuff.”

Poppe agreed, saying she represents a lot of pork producers and it’s “very critical for us and the state to act.”

Rep. Dale Lueck (R-Aitkin) asked Preisler for a reminder of the impact an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease could have on the state. Preisler said a third of all pork produced in the U.S. is exported. Exports and prices would probably both “go to zero” and the impact on pork, corn and soybean producers would be “nothing short of catastrophic.”

“That’s really where you get brought down to your knees,” Preisler said.

Foot-and-mouth disease affects cloven-hoofed animals, from cattle to deer, and is highly contagious. The impact would be in the billions of dollars, he said.

Rep. Ginny Klevorn (DFL-Plymouth) said it’s important to be far-sighted.

“We cannot continue to cut institutions that prepare us for these situations and then blame them for not being prepared or not having the money,” she said.