From Farms to Borders: Ensuring Biosecurity in the Pork Industry
Pork Biosecurity 060923
From canines at U.S. entry points to workers on the farm, biosecurity is not taken lightly across the pork industry with foreign animal disease prevention and response being a top priority.
“I feel like our industry in our country is doing a great job so far. Otherwise, I think we would have had it by now,” says Matt Gent, president-elect of Iowa Pork Producers Association. “So, we're doing our job, whether that's at our airports or our borders or even at the barn level.”
As China still works to recover following an African swine fever (ASF) outbreak starting in 2018, Michelle Rook reports on AgDay, the event serves as a wake-up call to U.S. producers to up their FAD game.
“Obviously the implications of ASF, if it hits the U.S. pork industry, expands much further beyond just the pork industry, right. I mean, grain farmers alike. I mean, it would be certainly be traumatic to the state of Iowa or Midwest economies in general,” explains Matt Romoser, Iowa pork producer and Iowa State University Extension swine field specialist.
Lisa Becton, DVM, director of swine health for the National Pork Board (NPB), adds that while an FAD in the U.S. would be devastating, the focus on prevention and a response are also top of mind.
In a recent AgriTalk conversation, Becton explains, “Our whole focus is—what are the things that we can do on our path to prevention to prepare for the worst. And so that incorporates things like, working with our partners at [Customs and Border Protection], because that’s our first line of defense.”
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While prevention is a large piece of the FAD puzzle, Becton says focusing on preparedness is also important.
“We don't want to be caught flat-footed. So, we want to be able to show producers what are all the things that you can do, prior to having a disease outbreak, because that's the last time you want to try to be prepared is right in the middle of a crisis,” she says.
To help bring the concern of FAD to the farm level, Becton suggests asking the question: what can producers do on their farm to protect themselves? With focus on securing the pork supply, having accurate premises identification, and enrolling and having an account in AgView will all help producers in the event of a crisis.
The industry has response plans for any disease outbreak, utilizing technology to track pig movement and provide updates to keep U.S. supplies from being totally shut out of the export market, Rook notes.
As a whole, Becton shares confidence in current FAD measures at the farm level.
“I think, for producers, there is an effective path to prevention for them and preparedness. The [National] Pork Board has many different tools that producers can implement right now to help them be prepared in the event of a crisis and that also can be used not only for foreign animal diseases but endemic diseases,” she says.
For more information about foreign animal disease prevention and response, visit the Pork Checkoff website.
Read More:
Foreign Animal Disease and Depopulation Options
U.S. Pork Industry Gears Up to Fight Foreign Animal Disease, ASF
Economic Devastation: African Swine Fever Outbreak in U.S. Would Cost $79.5 Billion
