First Round of Projects Under Wean-to-Harvest Biosecurity Program Approved

The first round of projects under the Swine Health Information Center’s Wean-to-Harvest Biosecurity Program have been approved and a second call for research proposals has been issued

The 2.3 million dollar Wean-to-Harvest Biosecurity Program, funded by the Swine Health Information Center, the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research and the Pork Checkoff is designed to develop cost effective ways to improve biosecurity on farm and during transport from the time the pigs enter the nursery to when they reach the packing plant.

SHIC Associate Director Dr. Megan Niederwerder says the first 10 projects under the program have been approved, representing approximately one million dollars in funding.

 “The more biosecurity we have throughout all phases of production, the better we are preventing the disease from being introduced”

“No matter how great we are at sow herd or breeding herd biosecurity, if the PRRS virus continues to replicate and have outbreaks and be maintained in these older pig groups in the wean to harvest phase, that age group will continue to pose a risk for reintroduction of PRRS virus into the sow or breeding farms.

“If we can increase the wean to harvest biosecurity it will also benefit the sow herd, in that the cycle of production can also be a cycle of how the diseases are maintained in the industry and spread to the various age groups.

“We think that this focus will not only help the wean to harvest phases but it will also help the sow herd and it will also assist us in reducing the risk of introduction of diseases that we currently do not have.

“The more biosecurity we have throughout all phases of production, the better we are preventing the disease from being introduced.”

A second call for proposals under the program has been issued. Dr. Neiderwerder says notes the deadline for submission is April 28 of this year.

Information on the Wean to Harvest Biosecurity program is available through the Swine Health Information Center Web site at swinehealth.org.

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