Secure Pork Supply Plan

The Secure Pork Supply (SPS) plan is a voluntary initiative to provide commercial pork producers with a workable continuity of business plan in the event of a Foreign Animal Disease (FAD) outbreak. In the event of a FAD outbreak, movement of swine will be restricted. In order to maintain continuity of business it will be critical for producers to be able to move pigs to the next stage of production or to market. Preparing for such an event by participating in the SPS plan offers producers the best opportunity to meet the expectations of animal health officials and demonstrate that their pigs are safe to move.

As a Swine Extension Educator, I've been helping to disseminate the information. The SPS "Seven Steps to Participate" have been prepared by the Minnesota Board of Animal Health in coordination with the Secure Pork Supply program to assist producers in developing a SPS plan for each site. The seven steps are intended to offer producers a simplified step-by-step protocol to guide them through the participation process referencing the SPS website at www.securepork.org.

To date I have emailed out through Step 4. If you have missed one or wish to go back and review, all lessons are posted on the University of Minnesota Swine Extension blog at http://blog-swine.extension.umn.edu. Click HERE to go to all 7 Steps directly.

Dr. Dave Wright is the Minnesota coordinator for the Secure Pork Supply Plan. Feel free to contact him at wright2me.dave@gmail.com or 763-242-7535 if you need assistance in the participation process. Supplemental PowerPoint presentations are also available that address the three basic concepts of the Secure Pork Supply Plan: Traceability and Movement Management, Enhanced Biosecurity and Foreign Animal Disease Training and Response.