The animal health lab plays an indispensable role in supporting exports, from protecting public perception held around the world that food from Wisconsin is safe and wholesome, to providing required testing for health certificates. In fact, forty percent of work done by the lab is to enable Wisconsin products to enter other countries. New, more stringent standards under discussion by the World Trade Organization will require nations to provide even more and better testing. Other countries require certified tests, conducted by a state laboratory. Private industry cannot provide this service.
Exports drive the state's world-class dairy genetics industry.
Four of the six major U.S. companies involved in the cattle artificial insemination industry are located in Wisconsin. Customer service must be improved to ensure the lab's accreditation. Both turn around time and the ability to provide a full range of diagnostic services are essential. Finally, the lab's professional staff must be expanded to meet customer needs. Last year, the lab performed 1.7 million tests to monitor approximately 150 different diseases.