U.S. Pork Industry Strengthens Swine Tracking System

By: Farms.com  

The U.S. pork industry is taking a significant step to improve swine traceability. At the 2024 National Pork Industry Forum, producers approved a resolution for a more robust pig tracking system. This aims to control the spread of serious diseases like African swine fever and foot-and-mouth disease. 

Under the new guidelines, all swine owners will need to register for a premises identification number (PIN). This unique number identifies your farm. Additionally, high-risk pigs, such as breeding stock for slaughter or show pigs, will require special radio frequency identification (RFID) tags. These tags allow for quick and accurate tracking of the pigs' movements. 

Producers will also be responsible for recording data on every pig movement. This data includes the origin and destination farm's PIN, the date of transport, the type of pig, and any existing ID numbers. This information must be entered electronically within three business days. 

In a serious disease outbreak, movement data will be reported to a central database. This will help officials trace the disease's path and prevent its spread. Even pig semen will require labels with the source farm's PIN for better tracking. 

These stricter measures are seen as crucial to protect both animal health and farmers' livelihoods. A disease outbreak could lead to a ban on U.S. pork exports, causing significant economic losses. The pork industry contributes over $8.2 billion annually through pork and pork product exports. 

The approved standards will be submitted to the U.S. Department of Agriculture for inclusion in official swine traceability regulations. This will ensure consistent tracking across the entire U.S. pork industry.