April 4, 2002

Biosecurity Workshop Set at Northern Crops Institute at NDSU

A workshop on biosecurity awareness and animal production will be held Tuesday, April 23, at the Northern Crops Institute at North Dakota State University in Fargo.

The workshop for feed and grain industry professionals, animal health suppliers, livestock producers and others will provide background on potential threats and risks. "Understanding the risks is the first step toward becoming proactive in creating emergency management plans," says Kim Koch, feedmill manager at the Northern Crops Institute and one of the program organizers.

Early registration is encouraged because the program is limited to 50 participants. The registration fee is $35 and includes refreshments and lunch. The deadline for registration is April 19. For more information or to register contact Koch at (701) 235-3662 or by email at kkoch@ndsuext.nodak.edu.  NDSU Beef specialist Greg Lardy can also answer questions or take registrations at (701) 231-7660 or glardy@ndsuext.nodak.edu.

The program will include a discussion of the role of veterinary and microbiological sciences in biosecurity programs and a review of the toxicology of various substances that may pose a threat to livestock. Specialists from NDSU and South Dakota State University will outline steps to improving biosecurity for cattle and swine as well as implications for the feed and grain industries.

"The time is right for promoting biosecurity in animal agriculture. Grain, processed ingredients, animal feed, pet food and their delivery vehicles all serve as potential vectors for intentional contamination resulting in injury to animals and humans as well as economic disruption," according to a statement from the American Feed Industry Association.

The workshop is sponsored by the NDSU Extension Service, the NDSU Department of Animal and Range Sciences, the NDSU Department of Veterinary and Microbiological Sciences, the SDSU Department of Animal Sciences and the Northern Crops Institute.

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Source: Kim Koch, (701) 235-3662, kkoch@ndsuext.nodak.edu
Editor: Tom Jirik, (701) 231-9629, tjirik@ndsuext.nodak.edu