The Swine Health Information Center in Ames is receiving $15 million in Pork Checkoff funds, extending the center?s funding through 2027.
Dr. Brett Kaysen, senior vice president of producer and state engagement with the National Pork Board, says the Swine Health Information Center works to protect and enhance the health of the United States swine herd through coordinated global disease monitoring, targeted research investments that minimize the impact of future disease threats and analysis of swine health data.
?We talk about African swine fever all the time. It’s commonplace knowledge in our industry of keeping it out, prevent and prepare. Business case, it’s a big risk for our industry and SHIC is one of the major players, the Swine Health Information Center, that helps cooperate with other animal health entities to protect our producers livelihood and freedom to operate.?
Kaysen says the $15 million investment brings direct value back to producers through the center?s animal health research priorities.
?How will this money best be spent to protect the producers that are operating farms daily and how do we protect their farms. And anytime as you look at an investment of this size, that should be table stakes, but I can tell you because I’ve been there done that sitting on a board seat at the SHIC programmatic level that they really look this through the lens of the stakeholders in which we support which is pig farmers.?
Kaysen explains the next step is to take research from their network of academia and veterinary diagnostic labs back to producers to show what they can do on their farm.
?Then let’s bring it close to home now today with PRRS 144. That’s an emerging strain of PRRS, that’s really been a challenge for our industry, and so SHIC plays a role there, too. So, I think sometimes folks just think about it as foreign animal disease prevention and preparedness, but don’t lose sight of the fact that this group of leaders has their eye on the prize relative to solving some of our domestic challenges as well.?
Swine Health Information Center executive director Dr. Paul Sundberg guides the center?s work, which is informed by an annual Plan of Work. Visit swinehealth.org to view their disease monitoring, research and emerging disease reports.
