Pork Producers Urge All-Out War

April 16, 2001

Having canceled their World Pork Expo and still faced with a potential onslaught of livestock diseases from overseas, the National Pork Producers Council has urged USDA and the U.S. Customs Service to "put all safeguards in place" to prevent any outbreak of food-and-mouth disease in the United States.

NPPC President Barb Determan, a pork producer from Early IA, sent letters to the administrator of USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), to the deputy administrator of the Plant Protection and Quarantine area of APHIS, and to the deputy assistant commissioner of field operations of the U.S. Customs Service. "The biosecurity of the U.S. swine herd has always been a top priority for pork producers. At a time when Foot-and-Mouth Disease has ravaged other countries around the world, the U.S. must step forth and put all safeguards in place to protect against such an outbreak here," Determan said.

In the letters, Determan acknowledged that use of resources must be prioritized but asked USDA and Customs achieve 100% compliance with the directives in the field on "implementation of your inspection protocols for international passengers, mail and cargo from foot-and-mouth disease countries. We ask that your protocols be fully implemented to protect the U.S. pork industry from the introduction of a foreign animal disease."

Determan asked the USDA to expedite its risk assessment to examine potential pathways for the entry of FMD into the United States. "This needs to be conducted for both accidental and intentional pathways of introduction of a foreign animal disease," she noted. "If the assessment identifies additional measures that should be taken, they should be quickly implemented."

NPPC's Board of Directors urged USDA, members of Congress, pork producers and other livestock organizations to:

-–Achieve a 100% compliance of inspection protocols by USDA/Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the U.S. Customs Service on all passengers, mail and cargo from countries that are FMD positive;

--Encourage all pork producers and pork plants to prohibit foreign visitors from touring farms and plants;

--Increase funding to USDA/APHIS for prevention of foreign animal diseases, particularly FMD, and increase funding for USDA/APHIS for enhanced detection and response on foreign animal diseases, including FMD;

--Strongly encourage the U.S. government to take all appropriate actions to eliminate accidental and/or intentional pathways of introduction of foreign animal diseases, particularly FMD;

--Encourage an animal health and biosecurity risk assessment of all shows or expositions that include live animals.