A southern Manitoba custom swine manure applicator is calling for more open reporting of PED to give those who provide services to the swine industry the best opportunity to avoid spreading the infection.
The swine manure fertilizer application season runs from April 10 to November 10.
To reduce the risk of transmitting Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea virus from one farm to another custom swine manure applicators have implemented a range of strategies aimed at eliminating any contact between manure application equipment or personnel and anyone or anything that might come into contact with pigs.
Doug Redekop, the president and general manager of Steinbach based Precision Pumping, says PED is top of mind now but he fears that could change.
People have been quite concerned about the epidemic, especially given the fact that it’s broken in so many herds in the U.S. and closer to home in Ontario so that it’s high on the radar.
But what I will say is as the weeks go on and we don’t have any new cases I have a feeling that people start to get a bit complacent.
I think the important thing I feel, is the fact that the PED is a reportable disease within Manitoba.
I would hope, as being a service provider for the industry, that we could help remove or petition the removal of this cloak of secrecy around the announcements of new cases so that we could do our best to try to minimize the transmission of disease if and when there are new farms identified.
That to me is critical.
Redekop says, if custom applicators can have roadway access away from the barn and the opportunity to wash and disinfect the equipment that has come into contact with the lagoon and any heavily manure equipment in the field, that will do a lot to minimize the transmission risk.
