Pork producers encouraged to come aboard US-SHIP

US-SHIP is another acronym pig farmers and allied industry folks have encountered recently — generating questions about what it is, whether it is required, and where is it coming from. US-SHIP is the United States Swine Health Improvement Plan, and it is open for all producers who raise pigs.

In Minnesota, US-SHIP is managed by the Minnesota Board of Animal Health and also overseen by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Veterinary Services. Additionally, swine industry leaders are involved in the development and management of a US-SHIP national playbook of technical standards — centering on prevention and demonstration of freedom of disease outside of control areas in support of animal health, commerce, and trade.

US SHIP is modeled after the very successful National Poultry Improvement Plan which has been in place since 1935. NPIP is a collaborative effort involving industry, state, and federal partners providing standards for certifying the health status of greater than 99 percent of commercial scale poultry and egg operations across the United States.

US SHIP is intended to provide a national program for certifying health status and is initially focused on African swine fever and Classical Swine Fever. Minnesota has committed to participating in US-SHIP and encourages all Minnesota swine producers to enroll their production and packing site(s) in this unique program.

The benefits of US-SHIP enrollment include strengthened ASF/CSF preparedness (prevention, response and recovery) for our state; establishing a uniform biosecurity, traceability, sampling/testing approach across participating states; and participation in a collaborative industry (producers/packers), state, and federal program in which producers can help establish appropriate standards for health certification.

US-SHIP is designed to be applicable across the entire spectrum of U.S. pork industry participants from the small show pig farmer to the larger commercial producers, live animal marketing operations, and slaughter facilities. Developing program standards which are relevant to and enable participation across the full breadth of U.S. commercial pork industry participants is essential.

Majority participation is a foundational element necessary for being able to represent the health status of domestic pig production operations across supply chains, areas, states, and regions. The National Pork Producers Council, National Pork Board, North American Meat Institute, United States Animal Health Association, American Association of Swine Veterinarians, and the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians have each communicated full support to expand the resources being provided to develop US-SHIP.

In 2022 a joint industry ASF Strategy Work Group, led by board members of the National Pork Board and National Pork Producers Council, identified “expediting the development of US-SHIP into a per- manent U.S. Department of Agriculture program” as one of the key industry priorities to be pursued.

Industry and state representation from Minnesota attended the inaugural US-SHIP House of Delegates in August 2021 and approved the initial requirements for certification in the program. The 2023 US-SHIP House of Delegates meeting is slated for early September in Bloomington, Minn.

The US-SHIP House of Delegates is a decisionmaking body composed of U.S. pork industry participants and subject matter experts that aim to represent the interests of pork industry stakeholders across each state.

Each state expressing interest has been allocated a specified number of voting delegates and the opportunity to invite up to two non-voting guests to attend each US-SHIP House of Delegates meeting.

The number of delegates includes a baseline allocation to each state, as well as an allocation proportionate to the capacity (inventory) of the breeding herd and growing pig production sites (respectively) enrolled in US-SHIP located in each respective state.

Each participating state’s voting delegation also includes the State animal health official or their designee. State level participation in this US-SHIP development project is determined by the State animal health official. In 2022, 31 states sent delegates to the second US-SHIP House of Delegates.

Appropriate representation of Minnesota’s pig farmers relies on the number of swine enterprises enrolled in US-SHIP.

Enrollment in US-SHIP is by pig farm site and is fairly straightforward. Applicants must complete the enrollment form (either single premise or multipremise form). Single premise enrollment application forms can be found at https://www.bah.state. mn.us/single-premises-u-s-ship-enrollment-form/. Multi-premise enrollment application form s are available at https://www.bah.state.mn.us/multipremises-u-s-ship-enrollment/. (You will be further directed to complete and submit a site list as part of the multi-premise application.).

After submitting the enrollment form, applicants must complete the biosecurity enrollment survey provided. Applicants must also show an ability to provide 30 days of swine movement records in an electronic format.

In short, US-SHIP will establish a national playbook of technical standards and associated certification recognized across participating states which centers on disease prevention and demonstration of freedom of disease outside of control.

At the Minnesota Board of Animal Health, Interim State Veterinarian Brian Hoefs has taken the lead with US-SHIP.

Further information about US-SHIP can be found at the Board of Animal Health website and at the links listed above.

For producers needing additional assistance in enrolling in US-SHIP, contact U of M Extension Swine Educators Diane DeWitte at stouf002@umn. edu or (507) 384-1745; or Sarah Schieck Boelke at schi0466@umn.edu or (320) 235-0726, ext. 2004.

This article was submitted by University of Minnesota Extension Swine Educator Diane DeWitte. v