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Iowa pork producers prepare for next big disease outbreak

Globe Gazette - 6/23/2017

Most believe it is only a matter of time before a foreign animal disease outbreak occurs in the U.S.

When that happens, the pork industry hopes to secure a supply of available pork through the National Pork Board's Secure Pork Supply plan, announced June 7 at the World Pork Expo in Des Moines.

The plan encourages producers to be a part of the program that is designed to identify farms more rapidly in the event of a foot and mouth disease, or FMD, or other foreign animal disease outbreak.

An Iowa State University analysis estimates a loss of $12.8 billion per year to the pork and cattle industries should there be an FMD outbreak, said Terry O'Neel, a producer from Friend, Neb., and president of the pork board.

"Producers who are a part of this will be able to start producing again more quickly than those who are not part of it," he said.

The plan outlines procedures the industry can follow should there be an outbreak. O'Neel said the industry worked with processors as well as state and federal agencies on the plan.

Having a premises ID is a key component of the plan, said Patrick Webb, a veterinarian and director of swine health programs for the pork board.

"We are asking producers to only share a minimum amount of data," he said. "This plan will provide some continuity for those producers who enroll before there is an outbreak."

Webb said the plan would allow pigs within a control area to move to other sites or to the packing plant if there is no evidence of disease in the herd.

Components of the plan include a sound biosecurity program, using premises ID tags, detailed production records and necessary health papers.

Iowa has learned a good deal about what happens when disease strikes, said Iowa Ag Secretary Bill Northey.

"When we dealt with avian influenza in 2015, having the ID was a very important factor when tracing movement," he said.

Webb said in the event of a disease outbreak, state animal health officials would be in charge of the situation in coordination with the USDA.

"As a pork producer, I want to be ready when it's time to sign up as a participant in the Secure Pork Supply program," O'Neel said. "In the meantime, let's all prepare by ramping up our farms' biosecurity measures and other steps so we'll be ready to go."