NBAF Lab Project Breaks Ground at K- State

(AP) – A $1.25 billion animal research facility in Kansas will fill a vital role in protecting the nation’s food supply while also providing a boost to the state’s economy, federal officials said Wednesday at a groundbreaking ceremony for the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility.

Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson and Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback were among dozens of state and federal officials who were at the NBAF site at Kansas State University to mark a milestone for the project, which will feature the nation’s most secure animal disease research lab.

“NBAF addresses a serious vulnerability, that biological or agricultural threats could have a substantial effect on the food supply of this nation and have serious public health consequences,” Johnson said.