from MSU News Service
BOZEMAN – Montana State University Extension beef cattle specialists will host summer meetings across Montana to help livestock producers understand a new ruling by the United States Food and Drug Administration concerning feed-grade antibiotics.
The veterinary feed directive, or VFD, was developed by the USFDA and will impact how producers feed their livestock. The VFD impacts feed-grade antibiotics that are medically important, which are antibiotics used in both human and animal medicine. The VFD rule will be implemented on Jan. 1, 2017.
In preparation for the rule, MSU Extension Beef Cattle Specialists Megan Van Emon and Rachel Endecott and Montana Veterinary Medical Association President-Elect Katie Rein will present a series of meetings throughout Montana. The meetings will focus on the VFD basics, label changes, veterinary-client-patient-relationships, required information on a VFD form, impacts on minor species and other information. The goal of the meetings is to provide information that will help attendees aid in the ease of implementation of the VFD rule.
Meeting attendees will be given information in a binder, courtesy of the Western Extension Risk Management Education Center. All meetings will be held from 1-5 p.m. The schedule of the meetings and contact information follows by date, location, Extension agent and a contact phone number:
July 26, Kalispell, Pat McGlynn, 758-5554
Aug. 3, Miles City, Mike Schuldt, 874-3370
Aug. 4, Billings, Steve Lackman, 256-2828
Aug. 9, Glasgow, Shelley Mills, 228-6241
Aug. 10, Havre, Nicole Gray, 231-5150
Aug. 11, Lewiston, Darren Crawford, 535-3919
Aug. 16, Sidney, Tim Fine, 433-1206
Aug. 24, Butte, Kellee Anderson, 723-0217
Aug. 25, Missoula, Campbell Barrett, 258-4200
Sept. 21, Dillon, Jackie Sutton, 683-3785
For more information, contact Van Emon at megan.vanemon@montana.edu or (406) 874-8286 or visit the MSU Beef Extension website at http://animalrangeextension.montana.edu/beef/VFD.html. RSVPs for the meetings are encouraged by contacting the corresponding MSU Extension agent.
