Summer 2023: Secure beef supply plan success
By: Minden L. Buswell, DVM, MPH, DACVPM
The Secure Food Supply (SFS) Plans provide guidance for livestock producers to voluntarily prepare for a foreign animal disease (FAD) outbreak to limit exposure of their animals through enhanced biosecurity. Animals with no evidence of infection may qualify for a movement permit from the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA). The goal is to provide business continuity for the livestock industry, transporters, packers and processors in the face of an ongoing FAD outbreak. To receive a movement permit from WSDA, producers must have an enhanced biosecurity plan completed PRIOR to an outbreak.
There exists a SFS Plan for the following commodities and FADs:
- Secure Beef Supply – Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD)
- Secure Milk Supply – FMD
- Secure Pork Supply – Classical Swine Fever (CSF), African Swine Fever (ASF), and FMD
- Secure Poultry Supply – Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI)
- Secure Sheep and Wool Supply – FMD
Each one of the SFS Plan websites offers a free downloadable enhanced biosecurity plan template. Notably, the enhanced biosecurity plan is more robust and different than a normal daily biosecurity plan, such as the Beef Quality Assurance – Daily Biosecurity Plan for Disease Prevention.
To support the viability of WA cattle industry, WSDA secured a grant through the Farm Bill and USDA to hire two summer interns to develop enhanced biosecurity plans for WA beef producers. WSDA hired Ashley Gunning and Alynn Harder, Washington State University (WSU) – Animal Science 2023 graduates. These animal scientists were well-suited to be successful in this internship. Both scholars displayed extensive knowledge of the Washington cattle industry, the ability to learn quickly, and showed great adaptability in a changing environment.
After a whirlwind summer of ranch visits, producer discussions, and meetings with Secure Beef Supply subject matter experts, these interns completed enhanced biosecurity plans for 13 farms with a total of 52 premise maps!
To continue this successful program, Dr. Craig McConnel at WSU College of Veterinary Medicine has hired two students to provide the cattle industry with another chance to educate the next generation and to protect their business in the event of a FMD disease outbreak.
If you would like help developing a SBS plan this coming summer, Washington State University – College of Veterinary Medicine and WSDA are ready to help you get started!
Please contact:
Dr. Craig McConnel
WSU College of Veterinary Medicine
Email: cmcconnel@wsu.edu