WASHINGTON — A $1 million appropriation to address avian flu by expanding the testing capacity of the University of Minnesota Veterinary Diagnostic Lab in Willmar has been approved in the Senate, and will now go to the House of Representatives for a vote, U.S. Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith announced Tuesday.

“Preventing avian flu is critically important for farmers in Minnesota and for the stability of the food supply in our whole country,” Klobuchar, D-Minn., said in the announcement. The funding will improve the ability to stop the spread of avian flu and other diseases, she added.

Smith, D-Minn., said she hears from farmers all the time about the financial stress that avian flu outbreaks put on farm families and the economy.

“Animal disease outbreaks can unnecessarily disr

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