Senior Farm and Ranch Broadcaster Ron Hays caught up with National Cattleman’s Beef Association Beef Cattle Specialist Veterinarian Dr. Julia Herman to further the discussion about the Secure Beef Supply (SBS), which is a biosecurity contingency plan for cattle producers to prepare voluntarily before a foot and mouth disease outbreak.
Last week, Hays spoke to XIT Feeders General Manager Gene Lowrey after he hosted a demonstration of what a lockdown might look like after an outbreak. Click here to read that story and listen to the interview.
Dr. Herman said. “This contingency plan is really important because, during an outbreak, producers will have to prove to their state veterinarian that they are taking these biosecurity steps so that they can move animals within a control area. The plans will be required for movement permits and potential indemnity.”
She explained that all of the biosecurity steps are based on preventing the disease from ever coming in, much of which boils down to educating employees, implementing biosecurity procedures daily, and double-checking that it is being implemented correctly.
“There are a lot of practical ways to start this now so that we don’t have to start it in the midst of an outbreak,” she added.
According to Dr. Herman, each producer has control of the biosecurity methods on their operations and each producer’s implementation may be different. “For instance, someone who raises show cattle has a different risk profile than someone who has a home herd and doesn’t introduce any new animals,” she explained. “We can adapt that biosecurity program based on animal and people movement, and do you share a bull, livestock trailer, or other equipment with your neighbor?”
While risk management is typically considered from the financial aspect, biosecurity is a big part of it. “We want producers to recognize biosecurity as one more thing where we can take some records so we have daily biosecurity plans on bqa.org or this Secure Beef Supply plan, which is technically an enhanced biosecurity plan. That is a record of what you are doing now, and it gives you a threshold to continue to improve.”
The NCBA received a USDA National Animal Disease Preparedness and Response Program Grant to improve the Secure Beef Supply Plan and its website. NCBA used the funds to create an advisory group of producers from all sectors of the industry to help determine which learning tools would be the best to use to become more involved with the SBS plans.
“We are creating videos that are sector-specific, a premises identification number fact sheet so people can learn what it is and how to apply for one, and what would happen in a national standstill. So if foot and mouth disease gets diagnosed, there will be a national standstill for 72 hours. We have a document explaining what might happen.
“We are trying to make all of this information more accessible, and easier for people to come in and learn about the disease and understand what they can do to prepare before an outbreak occurs,” Dr. Herman explained.
Biosecurity training materials for producers, veterinarians, packing plants, livestock haulers, and more can be found at securebeef.org.
The Beef Buzz is a regular feature heard on radio stations around the region on the Radio Oklahoma Ag Network and is a regular audio feature found on this website as well. Click on the LISTEN BAR at the top of the story for today’s show and check out our archives for older Beef Buzz shows covering the gamut of the beef cattle industry today.
