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NBAF can be Kansas
reality
Harry Watts,
Kansas Farm Bureau
August
28,2007
Kansas farmers
and ranchers deal with lots of acronyms as
they go about their work. Think of it: does
a day go by that you don’t think about the
USDA, the FSA, the NRCS, CRP, CREP or even
IGUCA?
Well, get ready
to add another acronym to your list: NBAF.
You’re going to be hearing a lot about it
over the next several months, because it’s
got the potential to bring our state to the
forefront of national food safety research.
And you’ve got the power to help make the
NBAF a reality in Kansas.
The Department
of Homeland Security (DHS) is looking for a
location to build a $451 million, 500,000
square foot, high-security federal
laboratory to research and develop responses
to animal, human, and zoonotic (infecting
both animals and people) diseases. DHS is
calling this proposed center the National
Bio and Agro-Defense Facility, or NBAF.
This facility will give the nation research
and response capabilities to protect animal
and public health and enhance the nation’s
capability to protect livestock and the
livestock industry from both naturally
occurring and intentionally introduced
disease threats.
Manhattan
has been selected as one of the five
finalists for the NBAF. The
project is anticipated to create 1,500 jobs
and bring $3.5 billion to the state over the
next 20 years. The facility will generate
research dollars for Kansas’ research
universities and world-class animal health
industry. Because it will attract private
biotechnology companies and a professional
workforce, NBAF will attract more businesses
to the area and create more opportunities
for existing universities and research
institutions.
It will
compliment the research that will take place
at K-State’s new, state-of-the art
Biosecurity Research Institute (BRI).
KFB President Steve Baccus testified in
favor bringing the NBAF to Kansas at a DHS
hearing in late August. He noted that NBAF
scientists could begin work immediately at
the BRI while the NBAF is being built. He
also pointed out Kansas
is strategically situated in
the center of our country and is surrounded
by private agriculture assets, research
facilities, specialists and other resources.
In fact, five major universities with strong
animal science or veterinary research
programs are within a 300-mile radius of our
state.
KFB has policy
in place to support biotechnology, and
President Baccus pledged Farm Bureau’s
support in the effort to bring the NBAF to
Manhattan.
Farmers and
ranchers know how critical food safety is to
our economy and our nation’s security.
There’s never been a more urgent need for
the type of research that will take place at
the NBAF.
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