Minnesota Pork Producers Call for PRRS Eradication

December 23, 2009 — 

The Minnesota Pork Producers Association unanimously adopted a resolution during their annual meeting December 16th calling for PRRS eradication.

The resolution supports efforts to ultimately eradicate the PRRS virus from the U.S. swine herd by recommending the National Pork Producers Council adopt a similar policy and direct efforts to identifying government resources to aid in viral eradication. The resolution emphasizes, however, that this should not constitute a federal eradication program at this time.

The resolution reads as follows: "The Minnesota Pork Producers Association (MPPA) recommends that policy be adopted by the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) with the end goal of eradicating the Porcine Respiratory and Reproductive Syndrome [sic] (PRRS) virus from the U.S. swine herd. The policy should include and identify appropriate government resources and investments for accomplishing this goal, but the policy should not make eradicating PRRS virus a government mandate."

Minnesota swine producers have actively supported regional virus elimination projects conducted in collaboration with researchers at the University of Minnesota's College of Veterinary Medicine. These efforts have been largely successful at eliminating PRRS virus from herds located in Stevens County, MN.