Barrasso Statement on Minor Use Animal Drug Program

Mr. President, I wish to discuss an amendment today authorizing the Minor Use Animal Drug Program. This is a program which carries out valuable research at land-grant institutions across the country for veterinary pharmaceutical research, such as research being done right now at the University of Wyoming.

This program is currently being administered by the USDA in cooperation with the Food and Drug Administration. It is identified as National Research Project No. 7. It is called NRSP-7.

Minor species industries nationwide represent about $1.5 billion in State and local farm revenues each year. Processing and export of minor species food and fiber projects represent an additional $4.5 billion in revenue each year. Now, individually, these minor species represent drug markets which are too small to cover the high cost of developing new veterinary drugs. As a result, few approved drugs are available to treat diseases in these minor animal species.

The USDA established a national Minor Use Animal Drug Program in 1982. So over the last 25 years, this program has been used to facilitate research for the drug approval process. NRSP-7 offers an opportunity for producers of minor animal species, such as sheep, goats, fish, and honeybees, to have veterinary drugs approved for their use. This project is of particular importance to the American sheep industry and to the people in the State of Wyoming. The American sheep industry produces a superior product. Lamb is a delicacy around the world. In fact, our recent guest, the President of France, enjoyed an American lamb dinner when he dined at the White House on Tuesday evening. I have no doubt his meal was exquisite thanks to the American ranchers who prepared those animals for the plate.

There are over 69,000 sheep producers in the United States. Those producers care for their animals and they produce valuable wool and lamb products for the country and the world. In Wyoming, 900 sheep producers care for close to a half million sheep. There are almost as many sheep in Wyoming as there are people, so it is almost a one-to-one ratio.

Nationwide, the sheep industry may be considered minor. Drug companies may not see profit potential in the sheep industry based on the nationwide numbers. But in Wyoming, we see opportunity, opportunity in the sheep industry, and we see a pressing need for development of veterinary drugs to promote growth of the sheep industry.

The industry is a big part of our heritage in Wyoming. Sheepherders have been incredible stewards of rangelands for more than a century. In Wyoming, we believe in a ranching way of life. We believe every man or woman who has the courage to work hard on the range can build a future for his or for her family, and they have. The sheep industry has supported that dream for thousands of people in Wyoming over the decades.

Sheep ranchers take care of their animals, and their animals provide a valuable industry. Treating animals for injury or for disease is a major component of a successful ranching business. The Minor Use Animal Drug Program offers sheep ranchers the same opportunity as other livestock operators to maintain a healthy herd and healthy businesses.

Having the right drugs to treat animal health problems is of great importance. New threats evolve each year and research carried out by the Minor Use Animal Drug Program helps keep the sheep industry up to date. To give a for-instance, NRSP's No. 7 research has led to approval of three drugs for respiratory diseases and two drugs for lung worms in sheep. Researchers are currently testing florfenicol for respiratory infections and a progesterone delivery method for breeding purposes.

Without sheep-specific research produced for these drugs, producers are left to guess at adjusting the doses from what they use in cattle and other animals. This can lead to problems of antibiotic resistance and it raises questions about drug residues in meat products. NRSP-7 provides the right research on appropriate drugs for responsible uses so that sheep producers know they are getting the best treatment for their animals.

The United States is far behind the rest of the world in vaccines, in reproductive aids, and in approved antibiotics for sheep and goats. NRSP-7 gives American sheep producers a fighting chance to keep up with the competition, and it is international competition.

It is not only the sheep industry that benefits from NRSP-7. For the last 25 years, NRSP-7 has facilitated drug approvals for species as varied as pheasants, quail, bighorn sheep, catfish, goats, partridges, lobster, shrimp, and the list goes on. At a time in our country when questions about animal disease are running rampant--when we face threats from avian influenza, from brucellosis, and from West Nile virus--it is the role of good government to protect human safety and animal safety.

Having well-researched and approved drugs at the ready to meet animal disease threats needs to be a priority for our Nation. NRSP-7 provides an opportunity for Government to create a level playing field for all agriculture sectors. Authorizing the Minor Use Animal Drug Program helps prepare us for the future and for the future of agriculture production.

I hope my colleagues will support this effort, this amendment to authorize NRSP-7, the Minor Use Animal Drug Program.

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