IMPORTANCE:
Pork producers rely on veterinarians, who are critical to safeguarding animal health and protecting animal care in U.S. pork operations. But every state in the country has a shortage of food animal veterinarians, which puts the health of food animals and the safety of the food supply at risk.

BACKGROUND:
There are only an estimate 8,500 veterinarians in the country who work on farm animals. Additionally, a recent report from the Government Accountability Office found that the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety Inspection Service has a vacancy rate for veterinarians of up to 35 percent, its Agriculture Research Service has a 12 percent shortage of mission-critical veterinarians and 27 percent of veterinarians employed by USDA, the U.S. Army and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration are eligible to retire within three years. Another study projects that the current shortage of veterinarians will worsen by 4 to 5 percent annually well into the next decade, with the number of vets needed growing by 22,000 by 2016, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. But the country’s veterinary colleges already are at or above capacity and graduate only about 2,500 veterinarians annually. One challenge in trying to increase that number: the average veterinary school graduate’s debt is close $106,000.

NPPC POSITION:
NPPC supports programs that will encourage students to become veterinarians and help them with education costs and that will help federal agencies recruit and retain large animal vets. The organization backs programs that will:
    • Allow federal agencies to improve compensation packages, including better salaries, that will help recruit
      and retain veterinarians. 
    • Strengthen the veterinary work force in each state by authorizing a grant program to expand the availability
      of veterinary services. The program would assist states in developing, implementing and sustaining 
      innovative programs to meet unique veterinary work force needs.
    • Establish a tax credit for veterinarians practicing in underserved areas.
    • Establish a 0 percent loan program specifically for veterinarians. Such loans would assist veterinarians by  
      providing them capital to make necessary business purchases.
    • Increase funding for the National Veterinary Medical Service Act, a federal loan repayment program for
      veterinarians who work in underserved areas. Such loans should be tax exempt.
    • Make tax exempt and raise repayment limits for the Federal Loan Repayment Program. The program is used
      by federal agencies to recruit and retain employees, including veterinarians. Congress should raise the
      annual repayment limit from $10,000 to $25,000 annually and the aggregate limit from $60,000 to $120,000.
    • Increase the educational and research capacity at the nation’s 28 veterinary medical colleges. Congress 
      passed the School of Veterinary Medicine Grants, but the program needs to be funded. Congress also
      should amend the law to permit new construction of labs and classrooms.
    • Authorize a four-year Veterinary Medical Student Scholarship Program that requires participants after 
      graduation to work for a federal agency.