LEXINGTON, Ky. — The Kentucky Department of Agriculture’s Office of State Veterinarian (OSV) needs your help. The OSV mission is to protect and promote animal agriculture and the investments farm families have made into their herds. For beef cattle farm families, that means working together to protect the health of your cattle. This year, efforts are focused on equipping you with the information needed to prepare for a potential Foreign Animal Disease (FAD) event, so that we can work together to ensure prompt identification, control and eradication of such a disease. In any potential outbreak, KDA’s top priority is to support producers in resuming animal production and commerce.

With those thoughts in mind, KDA needs your help in developing a Secure Beef Supply (SBS) plan for Kentucky. This plan will include a biosecurity template that can be used as guidance for your farm, should a FAD outbreak occur in the future. As it currently stands, during a FAD event in Kentucky, the KDA would have to order a state wide stop movement of all affected animal species. An OSV approved biosecurity plan would allow Kentucky producers to begin permitted movement of animals and product from uninfected premises, reducing disruption to your business.

There are national guidance plans available, but they do not suit the specific needs of Kentucky farm families. Therefore, the Kentucky Department of Agriculture has designed a survey to gather information that will ensure the development of a Kentucky-specific Secure Beef Supply plan which meets the needs of Kentucky farmers. Survey information about current management and biosecurity practices of Kentucky producers will be for the sole purpose of developing Kentucky’s Secure Beef Supply plan and providing outreach and education.

Please remember that this is an anonymous survey; you will not be identified or associated with your answers. The survey will close June 30, 2021.

For more information on Kentucky’s Secure Beef Supply efforts or to participate in the survey please click on either button below. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me by e-mail at alex.hagan@ky.gov or by phone at 502-782-5921.Your time and assistance with our efforts is greatly appreciated.

— Kentucky Cattleman’s Association

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