PA pig farms - biosecurity plan for disease

By Blake Jackson

Pennsylvania's Department of Agriculture (PDA) works to safeguard the health of both citizens and the state's pig industry. In case of a reportable swine disease outbreak, PDA prioritizes business continuity and economic well-being for pig farms. This includes providing resources for biosecurity planning and collaborating with producers.

Recently, PDA partnered with RABapp, a platform designed to simplify biosecurity planning. RABapp guides producers through the Secure Pork Supply (SPS) plan creation process. Pennsylvania pig farmers can access resources to learn about and build their SPS plan here:

• Secure Pork Supply: Learn about the program directly from the source.
• SPS Plan Building Walkthrough: This series provides a step-by-step guide for building your SPS plan and initiating disease response procedures.
• Biosecurity and Disease Response Webinar: Gain insights into available programs for biosecurity and disease preparedness.

AgView vs. RABapp: While AgView stores completed and approved biosecurity plans, it doesn't assist in creating them. Fortunately, AgView integrates with RABapp. This allows seamless transfer of plans created in RABapp to AgView, streamlining the process for farmers.

These resources equip you with knowledge and organization regarding biosecurity planning and disease response. This includes managing U.S. trade, business continuity, and potential impacts on your farm.

Importance of Biosecurity Planning:

• All pigs are affected: If a reportable disease like African Swine Fever or Foot and Mouth Disease enters the U.S., disease response measures will impact all pigs.
• Long-term Response: These tools can help manage your business if disease eradication takes months or even years.
• Proven Strategies: Many disease response tactics used for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in recent years may be applied to swine disease outbreaks.
• Movement Permits: A state-approved biosecurity plan becomes mandatory for all movement permits during a hemorrhagic swine fever outbreak.

Taking proactive measures by establishing a biosecurity plan now will benefit your farm significantly in the event of an animal disease emergency.

For any inquiries reach out to Seth Confer at setconfer@pa.gov or by phone at 717-585-8752.

Photo Credit: istock-srdjan-stepic