Federal Cooperative Agreement Summary

The Livestock & Poultry Commission Arkansas received a Cooperative Agreement award of $492,473 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Veterinary Services, effective April 1, 2026 through March 31, 2027. This award is funded under the Plant and Animal Disease, Pest Control, and Animal Care program (CFDA 10.025) and establishes a collaborative partnership to conduct national surveillance and emergency response activities for animal health protection in Arkansas. The agreement supports the continuation of disease surveillance and response operations designed to protect the state's substantial agricultural sector, including approximately 1.56 million cattle and 43,000 breeding swine, as well as the poultry industry where Arkansas ranks in the top five nationally for broiler production.

Under this Cooperative Agreement, Arkansas will conduct comprehensive surveillance and control activities for emerging, re-emerging, endemic, zoonotic, and foreign animal diseases. Specific deliverables include bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) surveillance sampling across three major surveillance streams (clinical suspects, emergency slaughter, and fallen stock); tuberculosis testing at an approximate rate of 380 tests annually with results documented in COREONE; and avian influenza testing and necropsies totaling approximately 60,000 tests and 100 necropsies across commercial flocks, backyard flocks, and additional venues. These activities ensure comprehensive disease monitoring and rapid response capabilities to protect American agriculture and support APHIS Veterinary Services mission objectives.