Agricultural News
Ron Hays Talks Vet Feed Directives with Richard Sellers of the American Feed Industry Association
Thu, 16 Jun 2016 20:58:09 CDT
The feed and livestock industries are six months away from the implementation of the Veterinary Feed Directive that was announced about three years ago. And, according to Richard Sellers, Senior Vice President for Public Policy and Education at the American Feed Industry Association, there is still a lot to do before VFDs can be a smooth part of helping treat animals for disease. Sellers says that there are thousands of labels that still must be updated to reflect the new regulations that make up the VFD. He offered his comments on Thursday afternoon in Ardmore at a seminar hosted by the Noble Foundation on the subject.
Asked by Radio Oklahoma Ag Network Farm Director Ron Hays if this regulation has been heavily impacted by politics as well as by activists- he said "Politics is about people- I think the FDA means well, this is a process that has gone on for twenty years to try to change the way that we use drugs in animal agriculture and I think they are doing it in a positive manner amd working with us and in the long run, I think we will be able to work this out and the FDA has been very open in discussions with us and we really appreciate it."
As for the activists, Sellers says that there are groups who are convinced that the use of drugs of importance to human health by food animals should not be allowed to continue.
Sellers acknowledges that there is a lot of work to do in getting the drugs being utilized under a VFD as of January first. The top priority for producers, according to Sellers, is to establish a working relationship with a food animal veterinarian- you must become a client of that Vet in order for him to be able to write a Veterinary Feed Directive after January first.
Click on the LISTEN BAR to hear their full conversation that came right after Sellers presented at the Vet Feed Directive Seminar at the Noble Foundation. The presentations at the Seminar were video recorded on Facebook by the Noble staff- click here for their Facebook page to see all of the presentations, including that of Richard Sellers.
Ron Hays talks with Richard Sellers of the American Feed Industry Association about VFDs.
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