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Outline of Need:
Recent outbreaks of disease among the poultry industry in California alerted poultry industry groups that biosecurity prevention efforts are a necessity. The potential consequences of an outbreak could be devastating to California's $2.5 billion poultry industry, causing the extermination of millions of birds, the loss of export markets, and unemployment.
How Rural Development Helped:
USDA Rural Development provided a $75,000 Rural Business Enterprise Grant (learn more about this program) for an intensive biosecurity education program. Organized by the California Poultry Federation using Rural Development funding, the program aimed at informing small commercial poultry producers about threats and preventative measures against a wide variety of poultry diseases. Between 300 and 400 interested parties attended the education program.
Of the 300 poultry producers and processors who participated in the program, many provide products and services for smaller ethnic and niche markets. As a result, they lack resources necessary to obtain proper biosecurity training. The series of seminars featured biosecurity experts from the University of California , the California Department of Food and Agriculture, and Foster Farms. The program has been an invaluable tool in providing training critical to the poultry industry's economic well-being.
The Results:
The program superceded expectations, reaching out to many smaller producers who would not have had the means of obtaining biosecurity training otherwise. Training seminars have been expanded to include a biosecurity resource website, biosecurity procedure videotapes, voluntary biosecurity facility audits, and biosecurity warning/no trespassing signs in both English and Spanish. These resources are available for the poultry producers and processors who were unable to directly participate in the seminars.
More importantly, the program has motivated both commercial operators and their employees to take preventative measures against outbreaks because of the personal stake they have in taking precautions. Informing the industry of potential hazards and precautions to counter these hazards has led to increased cooperation between large commercial poultry producers, small commercial poultry producers, small breeders, and hobbyists, and increased efficiency in preventing outbreaks before they devastate California's poultry industry.
(January 2005)
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