NPPC seeks input on updated swine traceability standards during National Pork Month

WASHINGTON, D.C.— U.S. pork producers tasked the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) with leading an effort to update the existing swine traceability system. NPPC is asking swine producers, veterinarians, cull swine and breeding operators and show pig enthusiasts to comment on the draft standards by Oct. 27, 2023.

In 2006, U.S. swine producers voluntarily adopted animal traceability standards to strengthen the industry’s ability to track animal movements with the goal of controlling the spread of animal diseases, particularly foreign animal diseases such as African swine fever, foot-and-mouth disease, and classical swine fever (hog cholera).

“Approximately 1 million pigs are in transit every day, giving diseases plenty of opportunities to spread,” said Scott Hays, NPPC president and pork producer from Missouri. “With the growing threat of a foreign animal disease reaching the United States, the need to address gaps in our existing traceability system is important for our farms and our industry.”

International markets would close immediately if a foreign animal disease were discovered in the United States. Strengthening live-swine traceability will better assure animal health officials that they have access to comprehensive movement data and show trading partners that the United States knows where disease-free animals are and that exported products are safe.

“With $7.7 billion worth of pork being consumed by international consumers, we need to assure trading partners that the United States can identify disease-free animals and provide them products from unaffected farms,” Hays added.

Updates will address gaps in the following areas:

• Breeding stock — sows and boars — cull animals, and show pigs, whose movements currently are difficult to track, giving each a unique ID number.
• Premises registration for all producers, cull and breeding operations and show pig farms.
• Movement reporting for all pigs to a centralized database that is available to animal health officials.

NPPC is seeking industry input before finalizing the updated standards early next year and presenting a resolution to delegates at the 2024 National Pork Industry Forum in March. The next comment period ends Oct. 27, 2023.

To view the current draft standards, make a comment, or learn more, visit nppc.org/trace. For questions, reach out to invest@nppc.org or your state pork association.