News

Secure Pork Plan adoption widespread in Michigan

The Michigan Pork Producers Association is working to enroll most of the state’s production in Secure Pork Supply Plans to enhance biosecurity efforts on farms.

Swine health coordinator Shelby Tacket is charged with helping farmers through the process which helps them operate through a foreign animal disease outbreak.

“Farmers want to be prepared,” she says.  “People definitely understand the importance of being prepared for a foreign animal disease outbreak—these plans then take a little bit of time.”

Michigan State University Extension’s Beth Ferry tells Brownfield an outbreak like African Swine Fever would be devastating.

“If we do have an outbreak of African Swine Fever here in the United States, we will have an all-stop of swine movement across all farms across the United States,” she says.

Plans include enhanced biosecurity plans, traceability reports required for permitted movement, and other preparedness efforts.