ASF and Tracking Feed Deliveries

One year after African Swine Fever (ASF) rolled through China, we are still wondering if US farms are safe from this devastating disease. Are today's farmers taking all possible precautions to prevent ASF from decimating US swine herds? This disease has the potential to change both the US swine industry and the US feed industry as a whole.

This virus can spread through contact between animals, manure, contaminated feed, ingredients, vehicles, ticks, equipment and humans. Given how quickly ASF can spread, US swine producers are proactively reviewing their biosecurity protocols and implementing additional safeguards. General precautions such as reporting sick animals, disinfecting holding areas etc., are all areas that farm owners can control.

One area that is often overlooked is enforcing biosecurity protocols for visitors and delivery vehicles. Considering the frequency of feed deliveries, it is vital to work with a mill that has the capability to autonomously monitor the feed delivery process and provide the most up-to-date biosecurity measures. “With the enactment of the Food Safety Modernization Act it is critical for feed mills, integrators and third-party haulers to be able to easily and effectively track feed from the feed mill to the bin,” explained Mike Shindelar, CEO of DP Techlink.”

Human-error is almost impossible to avoid, but mills and delivery contractors can mitigate error with autonomous systems that utilize GPS, mobile software, RFID and other technologies to guide (and record) the feed delivery process, biosecurity protocols and more. Technology should support the human element, not replace it. Transparency and real-time updates from suppliers will give swine producers the confidence that all best-practice biosecurity and feed quality measures are being followed. ASF is far too dangerous for US producers to take chances.