State agriculture committees discuss animal health, biosecurity

The House and Senate Agriculture and Rural Affairs committees held on Wednesday as part of Penn State’s annual Ag Progress Days a joint meeting focusing on animal health and biosecurity initiatives to protect the state’s food supply.

“Invasive species and animal diseases are significant threats facing all facets of our agriculture industry,” Rep. Martin Causer (R-Turtlepoint), chairman of the House Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee, said. “We must work together at all levels to combat these dangers and protect our food supply, the livelihood of our farmers and the state’s overall economy.”

One focus of the meeting was the threat of African swine fever (ASF). Recent outbreaks of the disease in Europe, Russia, and China have raised concerns about the further spread of the disease around the world.

Kevin Brightbill, state veterinarian and director of the Bureau of Animal Health and Diagnostic Services with the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture (PDA), noted that an outbreak of the disease could have an estimated $8 billion impact directly on swine farmers and a $20 billion impact overall when considering related industries. The swine industry in Pennsylvania accounts for about $775 million in economic impact, with an estimated 3,100 swine operations employing 11,200 people.

Brightbill and other testifiers, including Agriculture Secretary Russell C. Redding; Dr. Richard Roush, dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences at Penn State University; and Ernest Hovingh, of the Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences with Penn State University, noted the importance of investing in prevention efforts as well as having protocols in place to identify and manage any disease outbreaks.

Roush noted that Penn State is working with PDA on planning a Foreign Animal Disease Preparedness and Response Symposium early next spring to discuss preparedness for ASF and other threats with U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) officials and others. The state’s ASF task force plans to hold several meetings to discuss its prevention and management plans.

This year’s budget included the new Pennsylvania Rapid Response Disaster Readiness Account, which would enable the Commonwealth to respond quickly to agricultural disasters.

The budget also included a $2 million appropriation for the Animal Health and Diagnostic Commission, $1 million for livestock and consumer health protection and continued support for the Penn State Extension program.