The Swine Health Information Center has approved funding for a study to determine the potential benefits of creating a National Swine Improvement Program modeled after a program created for poultry producers.
The Poultry Improvement Program, funded by USDA, States and poultry producers, monitors disease status of poultry flocks and conducts surveillance for disease outbreaks to provide the poultry sector the information needed to quickly respond to disease outbreaks and limit spread.
Dr. Paul Sundberg, the Executive Director of the Swine Health Information Centre, says the question being asked is what might be learned from the Poultry Improvement Program that could be applicable to the pork sector?
Dr. Paul Sundberg-Swine Health Information Centre:
One of the things we know about international trade is that, if we would get an infection of a highly contagious disease that's a program disease like Foot and Mouth Disease or Classical Swine Fever, African Swine Fever, one of those, our international trade would probably be shut down immediately and that is an extreme risk for our pork industry as we rely more on international trade for the opportunity for profit for our producers.
The question becomes what are the needs of the industry going to be in the future in order to help protect or help enhance that opportunity for international trade should we get a highly contagious disease.
Source : Farmscape