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Producers have an important role in agricultural emergency planningBy Doug Rich It is probably not a question of "if" but "when" this country will experience a major foreign animal disease (FAD) outbreak. Producers attending the Missouri Cattlemen's Association annual convention learned how to proceed with emergency planning and response on their farms and ranches. "Producers are the most important part of this puzzle," Eric Hess with SES, Inc., said. Producers need to know what their responsibilities are, in case there is an animal agriculture emergency. And they need to do some planning in advance of such an outbreak. Maintaining proper biosecurity practices, reporting sick animals, planning for catastrophic mortality disposal, planning for feed and water in the event of a natural disaster and record keeping are a producer's responsibility. Hess stressed that a major disease outbreak would have an economic impact well beyond agriculture. The ripple effect would touch every segment of our economy. "An attack on agriculture would have an economic impact that would make 9-11 and Katrina pale in comparison," Hess said. Tourism was a big loser when foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) was found in Great Britain. Anything that stops or slows down movement into and out of the state would have a big impact on tourism, which is very important to the Missouri economy. "We focus on foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) because it is the worst and, if we can handle this, we can handle anything," Hess said. "An animal disease outbreak, natural or intentional, will affect your quality of life. "The idea that agriculture is vulnerable to terrorism is relatively new," Hess said. The movement of animals through the production and marketing system in this country makes it an attractive target for terrorists. In Missouri alone, 15 percent of all Missourians are employed directly by agriculture. On an annual basis 20,600 semi loads of cattle, 18,380 loads of hogs, 50,000 semi loads of broilers and 25,500 semi loads of turkeys come to Missouri. The grower level is the most vulnerable point in the system. Transportation, processing plants, and retail outlets are potential targets, as well. FMD is present in many countries around the world and would be easy to introduce into the U.S. Anthrax is another potential threat to the livestock industry. Hess said that animal diseases, unlike other biological agents, do not need to be weaponized before they are deployed. Biosecurity is the key to controlling an outbreak. Most computer models that predict the spread of an animal disease outbreak only track animal movements. Hess said people are the worst vectors for disease. Something as simple as wearing different boots to the sale barn and for working on your own operation can improve biosecurity on your farm. In addition to normal people and animal movements through the market system in this country, there are many other vectors for disease. Deer, feral pigs, wildlife and birds can spread the disease over a wide area in a short period of time. Hess suggested having bait stations for wildlife, to control their movement to a certain degree and to keep them out of your feed and water supplies. The last thing most producers want is more record keeping, but adequate records of animal and people movements on your farm or ranch could be critical in the event of a foreign animal disease outbreak. Keeping records of animals and feed sources is very important. A sign-in book for visitors to their farms or ranches would be a simple but effective recording keeping tool for producers. Producers need to plan ahead for how they would dispose of diseased animals. An emergency plan should include selecting a good site for burying euthanized animals. "Stamping out" is still the method used to stop the spread of an animal disease outbreak. This involves the appraisal, depopulation and disposal of livestock at the source. Certain diseases allow for the burial of animal carcasses, while others will require the carcasses to be burned to prevent the spread of the disease. "Stamping out is how we get the disease and clean up the source," Hess said. In the event of the depopulation of a herd or herds, USDA will reimburse producers for the market value of the animals. That is, the market value prior to the disease outbreak. Hess said the market value for purebred livestock would be different from the market value for commercial cattle. Producers will be reimbursed for feed and burial expenses, also. So, be sure to keep track of these expenses. Veterinarians, country emergency management, trade associations, Extension and other agencies all play a role in emergency planning but it all begins with producers. Control of foreign animal disease starts with producers. Whether the outbreak is natural or intentional, it all begins with producers. Identifying the diseases early and contacting the appropriate authorities is the responsibility of producers. Doug Rich can be reached by phone at 785-749-5304 or by e-mail at richhpj@aol.com. 12/17/07 Date: 12/13/07
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