Swine & U

A plan for a secure pork supply is still important

As African swine fever spreads around the globe, the pork industry and its partners are all pulling together to prevent the entry of ASF into U.S. pig herds. African swine fever is one of three foreign animal diseases (FAD) U.S. livestock producers and partners are working to exclude from the United States. Another is foot and mouth disease (FMD) which would infect not just pigs, but cattle, sheep, goats, deer and bison. FMD was eradicated from the United States in 1929. The third FAD being watched is classical swine fever (CSF) which many of us know as hog cholera — a disease also eradicated in the United States in 1978.

It should be noted FMD, CSF and ASF are not public health or food safety concerns. Meat will still be safe to eat.

However, these diseases are very contagious in swine, and each team member on the pig farm should be able to recognize clinical signs. Currently swine producers are asked to keep a daily observation record of their pigs, and doing so will help provide timely documentation in the event of a disease outbreak. If suspicious signs are observed, farm personnel will be asked to collect oral and nasal swab samples to submit for testing. Any suspicions about pig health should be reported to a veterinarian immediately.

Across the country, plans are in place establishing emergency FAD preparedness in livestock. Currently, secure food supply plans have been developed for milk, poultry, beef and pork. The purpose of the secure food supply plan is to provide livestock producers with a workable continuity of business plan should an FAD occur.

In the event of an FAD outbreak, livestock movement would be restricted. Preparation for such a catastrophe is the best way to ensure producers could continue to move animals off of the farm and move products to market.

The secure supply plan also prepares producers for cooperating with animal health officials in the event of an outbreak, and provides consumers with confidence that their meat, milk and egg supply is safe.

Recently in Minnesota, veterinarian Dr. John King has been appointed as the statewide secure food supply plan coordinator. He is working with all producers of food animal species to assist with completion of plans on all farms.

In the swine world, state and federal officials (collaborating with the National Pork Board, industry and universities) have rolled out secure pork supply information to swine producers. This year the Covid-19 pandemic has overshadowed work being done to prepare farms for a potential FAD outbreak, but work within the Emergency Disease Management Committee for Swine has continued. EDMC swine subcommittee meetings continue and a statewide FAD emergency plan is systematically being created.

UniversityofMinnesota EXTENSION

SWINE&U

Producers who have not yet put their SPS plan into place are encouraged to get information from the national website (www.securepork. org), or through the University of Minnesota’s SWINE & U Extension website at

By Diane DeWitte https://z.umn.edu/ UofMinnesotaSPSinfo. Extension swine educators Sarah Schieck and Diane DeWitte are also available to assist producers as they complete their farm’s SPS plan.

Traceability and Movement Management

It’s been proven that restricting movement of animals reduces the spread of disease, but that benefit has to be balanced with the costs of interrupting business. In addition, there is a real threat to animal welfare when they are kept in close proximity to diseased animals.

A farm connected to a validated national Premises Identification Number (PIN) is a key component in helping officials determine disease control areas and potential movement of animals.

Four important concepts have been identified to tighten up a producer’s biosecurity effort: identify a biosecurity manager; maintain detailed records; draft a written, site-specific biosecurity plan and document the training; and create a premises map

Swine farm personnel must become familiar with the three most common swine foreign animal diseases: FMD, CSF and ASF.

Premises ID Number (PIN)

The national premises ID number (PIN) is a unique seven-character identifier assigned to a premises where pigs are produced, kept or moved through. Each state’s Board of Animal Health manages the identification program and assigns the PIN for producers. National PINs are not specific only to swine. Premises where any food animal is raised can have a PIN.

Today more than 96 percent of swine premises use the national PIN. The pork industry is striving to reach 100 percent adoption of PINs. Not only will accurate PINs on every pig farm provide pinpoint accuracy to reduce disease spread, but PIN use demonstrates a superior traceability system to the United States’ international trade partners.

PINs are a key component of the Pork Quality Assurance Plus (PQA+) site assessment, and many packers require a PQA+ site assessment as a condition of sale. Since January 2015, all sows and boars sold into the food chain must have an ear tag containing the farm’s PIN. PINs are also required by many major swine shows and exhibitions.

To obtain a PIN, producers can contact the Minnesota Board of Animal Health at https://www. bah.state.mn.us/register-your-premises/ or call (651) 201-6816.

A team from University of Minnesota’s department of Veterinary Population Medicine took a close look at PIN information and found two types of accuracy problems: PINs linked to a site with incorrect address or longitude and latitude coordinates; and one PIN for several geographically distinct sites.

The PIN must be connected to the actual physical address where the animals are located. For emergency response activities, the PIN must correspond to the animal location.

Producers with more than one farm or barns on several locations need to get a separate PIN for each site. In the case of a disease outbreak, if multiple barns/farms are connected to one PIN, all of the facilities would be designated as infected — even if only one actually was.

Minnesota’s Board of Animal Health has developed a “next step” for producers who have completed their farm’s secure pork supply plan. A checklist completed by their herd veterinarian can be submitted to the Board of Animal Health. That information will further assist Minnesota’s animal health officers determine if a movement permit can be issued in the event of an FAD disease movement restriction. The checklist can be found at https://www.bah. state.mn.us/.

As swine producers learn more daily regarding African swine fever’s movement in other parts of the world, they will continue to hear about the secure pork supply plan. The SPS is voluntary.

More details or assistance can be found at www. securepork.org, or by contacting University of Minnesota Extension swine educators Sarah Schieck at schi0466@umn.edu or Diane DeWitte at stouf002@umn.edu.

Diane DeWitte is an Extension Educator specializing in swine for the University of Minnesota Extension. Her e-mail address is stouf002@umn.edu v

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U.S. farm bill provides protection for sugar producers

SUGAR BEETS, from pg. 14

to deal with mud. I’m speaking for our entire staff, for all are great workers in the factory, and I’m certain for every one of our growers, we’re very appreciative of how things have gone so far this campaign. Yes, it’s very fitting to say our good Lord has favored us mightily.”

Keith McNamara was also pleased with the 2020 crop. “Yes indeed, this is a good harvest. Beets are lifting clean and sugar content is coming up. However, we’re starting to plateau so it’s time to finish harvest.” MCNamara was reluctant to speculate whether you could pick up a point of sugar content by delaying harvest a few days. “A point of sugar is a lot,” he Growers happy with this year’s crop

NAVY BEANS, from pg. 15

shine days after June showers developed healthy plants. Harvests were virtually without weather interruptions; so I’m guessing yields this season ranged from 2,800 to 3,200-pound averages….and obviously some pushing into the high 30s. Plus it was a very clean crop … pick discounts at a minimum. Growers are happy.”

Navy bean board price was 26 cents on Oct 14. Ankney said last year it was at 20 cents. Sure, he’s aware growers would like more acres next year based on yields, pricing and uniquely good harvesting this year. “We normally contract enough to fill the elevator every year so we’re pretty much limited to 10,000 acres yearly goal. Right at 90 percent of our production gets marketed directly to our major canner customers for usage right here in America.”

That includes delivery to some Minnesota canners, but Zach said canners across America are on the delivery list so that means a combination of truck and rail deliveries.

The Olivia facility was built in the mid-1970s. Since then, a couple of additional storage tanks were built. Total bulk storage today is 285,000 hundredweight which translates to 450,000 bushels. v

CUSTOM FENCE BUILDERS

SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA Daniel & Terese Hall 40133 - 620th Ave. 507-956-2657 Butterfield, MN 56120 hedged. “It’s hard to know when the beet starts dehydrating in the field. Once the beet reaches that stage, you’re at the plateau where you have the reverse of water and sugar content. Right now our beets are mostly at the 17 percent content … and that’s respectively good. Sure, can always hope for more, but this

Kent Thiesse lauded at Summit

Kent Thiesse, Senior Vice President at MinnStar Bank, was awarded the AgriGrowth Distinguished Service Award at the recent Minnesota Ag and Food Summit.

AgriGrowth Executive Director Tamara Nelsen stated, “I also want to add a special congratulations to Kent Thiesse. His significant contributions to agriculture and his leadership in our industry is greatly appreciated by everyone who knows him. He is very deserving of this recognition.”

Thiesse’s “Farm Programs” column appears in The Land every month.

Since 1968, ArgiGrowth has annually recognized an outstanding leader for their unique service and significant contributions to strengthening food systems and agriculture in Minnesota.

AgriGrowth is a non-profit and nonpartisan organization representing Minnesota’s agriculture and food industry.

Farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners can plan ahead and sign up for USDA conservation funding. Landowners interested in the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) need to apply by Nov. 20 for funding in 2021. EQIP is the primary program available to farmers and landowners for farm, ranch, and woodland conservation work, offering payments for more than 100 conservation practices.

Farmers may contact their local USDA Service Center to get started on producer eligibility and planning. Farmers who are interested in practices already looks like the best in the past five years.”

And he’s content if his 2020 crop averages 30 tons per acre. “Back when my Dad grew beets 20 tons was a good average. With today’s costs and pricing of our beets, 30 tons is acceptable.”

Like most beet growers, McNamara is keenly aware of sugar markets nationally; and into export areas as well. “We’re a net importer of sugar,” he told me. “We’re the only country that does not export. So our U.S. sugar beet industry is based on quota. Seventy-seven percent of our nation’s total sugar needs are grown domestically by we beet growers and our sugar cane growers in our southern states.

“All exporting countries are allowed a quota as to how much sugar they can export into our country. This is subject to yearly revisions depending upon world productions and continually changing market demands for sugar. However, thanks to our USDA farm bill which puts some stability into yearly revenues for we producers. Without the protection of our farm bill, the wild gyrations of these world sugar markets would likely drive many of us into bankruptcy.”

McNamara said he would like to see a repeat of this season in 2021. “This needs to be the new normal,” he stated. “We have genetic potential to reach 40-ton yields. Recall when 300-bushel corn was the ambition? This year some fields in Renville County pushed that figure. The point being, with the increasing costs of growing beets, you have to anticipate higher yields on a consistent basis down the road. And that’s why domestic protection of the USDA Sugar Program is an absolute must!” “Agriculture needs support at all angles. We need unity regardless of who is in office. We need to remind our consumers that they have the broadest array of foods of any country. It’s a God-given gift. We’ve been afforded the right to eat. Let’s keep policies in place that continue the opportunity for we

EQIP signup for 2021 funding underway

farmers to provide this abundance!” v may require permits, such as manure storage or streambank restoration.

If funding allows, a second application cutoff will be set for March 5, 2021.

Landowners interested in applying for EQIP funding should contact their local NRCS office at the USDA Service Center their county. For more information, visit www.mn.nrcs.usda.gov.

This article was submitted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. v