The American Dairy Coalition (ADC) is proud to announce that S. 2107/H.R. 4482 “Protecting America’s Food & Agriculture Act of 2019” is headed to President Trump’s desk for signing after clearing both the House and Senate. ADC along with national, regional and state trade associations submitted a joint letter to House leadership encouraging the swift approval of this important bill. ADC and the members we represent across the nation commend the House for heeding our request. This bill will allow for the U.S. ports of entry to hire additional personnel needed to conduct inspections of agricultural products entering our county to ensure they are free of foreign pests and diseases.
Contaminated products entering nation’s borders cost our economy tens of billions of dollars annually, according to estimates from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Despite the huge cost to our economy, Customs and Border Protection has been understaffed for years — putting our nations livestock herds and crops at risk.
This important bill will provide for additional personnel to perform important inspections at the border, provide for training and as well as offer additional funds each year to pay for activities in regards to agriculture specialists’ needs. This bill will also supply funds to train 20 new Agricultural Canine Teams — specially trained dogs that have the ability to sniff out potentially contaminated fruits, vegetables and animal products.
The American Dairy Coalition and the producers we represent across the nation thank House leadership for their responsiveness and dedication to swiftly pass the Protecting America’s Food & Agriculture Act of 2019. Our nation expects our ports of entry to have the appropriate staffing to guard against security threats, address public safety risks, and grow the economy.
About The American Dairy Coalition:
The American Dairy Coalition (ADC) is a farmer-led national lobbying organization of progressive, modern dairy farmers. We focus on federal dairy policy. For more information, contact CEO Laurie Fischer at 920-965-6070.
