With the headlines appearing about African Swine Fever (ASF) in Asia and Eastern Europe, National Pig Association (NPA) Chief Zoe Davies has come up with the #MuckFreeTrucks campaign with the help of AHDB to give it momentum.
Research has shown that contaminated lorries that have not been cleaned properly play a big part in spreading diseases such as African Swine Fever (ASF).
Ms Davies:
“The campaign will stress how important it is for producers, processors and hauliers to take every precaution possible to prevent dirty lorries entering farms and leaving processing plants.
“Ideally, we want farmers to turn away dirty wagons and ensure their own are properly cleaned. Processors must ensure their lorries leave the site clean, while hauliers have a big part to play, including reporting any issues with lorry-washing facilities.
“There is no point becoming good at biosecurity once disease has hit the country – by then it is too late. People need to be thinking about good biosecurity now.”
Challenge a dirty lorry
Lauren Dimmack, AHDB knowledge exchange health and welfare officer, wrote an article for the May issue of Pig World magazine and said:
“It may seem like a drag to refuse a lorry, particularly after a long morning of loading pigs, but the cost of a disease outbreak will be far worse.
You can read Lauren’s article here.
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