HURON (KELO AM) - “Having a good veterinarian for your livestock has always been important, but these new FDA regulations make it even more so,” said Wanda Blair, who raises Angus cattle and bulls with her husband Ed as part of Blair Brothers Angus northeast of Sturgis, S.D. “I would really encourage farmers and ranchers who use medicated feed to establish and uphold an excellent relationship with their vet. The Veterinary Feed Directive is going to mean more interaction and record-keeping with your vet’s office.”
Blair, who serves as Vice President of the South Dakota Farm Bureau, recently attended an information session in Rapid City hosted by Farm Foundation, NFP. The meeting, held on Oct. 13, was designed for livestock producers, feed suppliers and veterinarians to learn about and discuss the ramifications of the new FDA regulations.The FDA’s Veterinary Feed Directive rules went into effect on Oct. 1, although manufacturers are expected to make the required label changes right before the full implementation date of Dec. 31, 2016. By then they will need to remove the label indications for the use of feed-grade antibiotics for growth promotion and feed efficiency. Since extra-label use of feed-grade antibiotics in food animals is illegal, these uses will no longer be allowed.Now a Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD), much like a prescription, will need to be written by a veterinarian who is licensed in the state where the animals are present. In addition, a valid veterinary-client-patient relationship (VCPR) will be required between the livestock operation and the vet.
Scott VanderWal, president of the South Dakota Farm Bureau, feeds cattle with his family as part of their row-crop farm north of Volga. He encourages producers to talk to their veterinarian about how these regulations will change the protocols for using the products now termed “medically important” by the FDA.
“This new FDA rule is changing some things for us as producers, like the forms we have to file and the steps we have to take before getting certain products, but the most important aspect is not changing – and that is the care we take to ensure the health of our livestock. That is always top of mind for us in animal agriculture, and there’s no one better to partner with on those health decisions than your trusted veterinarian,” VanderWal added.
Livestock producers can visit www.fda.gov and search “VFD” to find more information about the new rules. Also, Dr. Dustin Oedekoven, State Veterinarian, will be one of the featured speakers during South Dakota Farm Bureau’s annual meeting, set for Nov. 20-21 in Pierre. FDA’s new Veterinary Feed Directive will be one of the topics discussed.