In response to a growing disease threat, the Swine Health Information Center has reallocated $1 million in its 2022 budget to identify industry opportunities to improve. According to Associate Director Megan Niederwerder, there has been an uptick in disease issues within the finishing phase of production. “Specifically, we see an increase in the percent positive of PRRS cases in the grow-finish phase because we have lower or less biosecurity protocols at the finishing phase,” said Niederwerder. Research has identified PRRS and PED as an issue after the pigs arrive at the finishing unit. “That’s a vulnerability in our industry and if a foreign animal disease such as ASF gets introduced, the economic impact is devastating. We want to close that gap on the finishing site to make sure that we are protecting the industry as much as we can.”
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