In the News: Rural veterinary shortages put U.S. food system at risk, report says

MADISON—As student debt outpaces earnings in rural areas, fewer up-and-coming veterinarians are compelled to work with farm animals.

The U.S. is facing an alarming shortfall of veterinarians to treat livestock and poultry in rural areas. That has consequences for public health, food safety and economic growth in agricultural communities, according to a new report commissioned by Farm Journal Foundation.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has designated more than 500 U.S. counties—including some in Virginia—as having shortages of food animal veterinarians.

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