Clemson names Boyd Parr Livestock-Poultry Health director

Published: March 6, 2012

Boyd Parr image by: Clemson University

CLEMSON — Boyd Parr has been named director of Clemson University Livestock-Poultry Health, which includes animal health programs, meat inspection and the state veterinary diagnostic center. 

Parr has been with Livestock-Poultry Health since 2004, holding positions as interim director of Livestock-Poultry Health, director of animal health programs and field veterinarian for food animal production. He has been South Carolina’s state veterinarian since 2009.

Clemson Livestock-Poultry Health’s mission is to protect animal health by controlling endemic, foreign and emerging diseases in livestock and poultry; and to protect the health of S.C. consumers by providing a comprehensive inspection service to ensure that meat and poultry products are safe, wholesome and accurately labeled.

“The veterinarians and staff at Clemson Livestock-Poultry Health are nationally respected, highly skilled and deliver invaluable services to South Carolina’s livestock and poultry industries,” said Parr. “I am privileged to continue serving with them. I look forward to relying on my 26 years of experience in private food animal practice, my years of experience with Clemson, the complementary resources of Clemson PSA (Public Service Activities) and the university, along with input from South Carolina farmers, to do the best job possible for the state.”

“Boyd Parr is a highly respected veterinarian who has served South Carolina’s animal agriculture industry as a private practitioner and at Clemson Livestock-Poultry Health,” said John Kelly, Clemson vice president for economic development. “We are grateful for his skills ensuring the health of the state’s animal industries and meat supply.”

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Animal Health Program
Clemson's Animal Health Programs coordinates activities to protect the health of food animals (beef, poultry, swine, etc.) and other livestock which helps ensure not only their productivity but also the access to both domestic and export markets. These critical services to the state's $34 billion agribusiness industry have a significant impact on economic activity in South Carolina. Animal Health Programs activities include: regulating the testing and movement of livestock and poultry, auction markets, sales and all animal disease control programs in the state; serving as veterinarians for the Clemson Extension Service; coordinating statewide emergency response for livestock and poultry during natural or man-made disasters for the S.C. Emergency Management Division; and administering the SC Ag-Watch program, which promotes basic animal disease prevention practices and disease or threat awareness for livestock and poultry producers.

Meat and Poultry Inspection
The S.C. Meat and Poultry Inspection department protects the health of consumers by providing a comprehensive inspection service to ensure that meat and poultry products are safe, wholesome and accurately labeled. There are 93 facilities in South Carolina under state inspection for meat products from cattle, pigs, sheep, goats, quail and poultry.

Veterinary Diagnostic Center
The Veterinary Diagnostic Center assists veterinarians, the animal industry and animal owners by identifying diseases that affect livestock, poultry, companion animals and wildlife. The center is an integral part of a disease surveillance system that helps ensure a safe and adequate food supply and protects the health of South Carolina citizens. The Diagnostic Center is accredited for all species by the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians and is a member of the National Animal Health Laboratory Network.

Land-grant university system
Clemson University is part of a national system of land-grant universities that work together with USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. This year is the 150th anniversary of the Morrill Act that created land-grant universities to deliver practical education and support economic development in state agriculture and forestry industries. In addition to teaching students and conducting research, land-grant universities take science-based information to the public to meet critical needs in their state. Clemson and S.C. State are the land-grant universities in South Carolina.