Published 3:49 pm Tuesday, September 8, 2026 TIFTON — Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College and the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine formalized a partnership Wednesday, Sept. 2, to help address Georgia’s shortage of veterinarians serving rural communities and the state’s food-animal agriculture industry. The institutions commemorated the signing of a memorandum of understanding at Tift Hall on the ABAC campus, establishing the Georgia Rural Practice Veterinary Incentive Program, or Georgia Rural Practice VIP. The five-year agreement creates a collaborative pathway for ABAC students interested in pursuing mixed animal and food-animal veterinary medicine and ultimately serving rural communities in Georgia. Food animals are domesticated or farmed animals raised primarily for human consumption and animal-derived food products. The need for veterinarians who specialize in food-animal medicine is significant, according to a press release from ABAC. According to statistics reported by the American Veterinary Medical Association, of the 90,219 veterinarians in the United States involved in clinical practice in 2025, only 3.1% were dedicated solely to food-animal practice. The percentage of veterinarians dedicated to food-animal practice declined from 3.4% in 2024. In Georgia, the shortage of food-animal and mixed-animal veterinarians presents a challenge for rural communities and the agricultural industry. “Years from now, the success of today’s agreement will not…
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