Iowa now included in USDA’s milk testing program

The U.S. Department of Ag­­ri­­­­culture (USDA) last week an­nounced expansion of its National Milk Testing Strategy (NMTS) to a total of 28 states, including Iowa.

The strategy requires testing of raw milk samples from dairies across the country as part of the USDA's effort to safeguard the nation’s milk supply and protect dairy herds from highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1.

The 28 states covered under the program represent nearly 65% of the nation’s milk production, the USDA said.

H5N1 elimination

The program...