Swine operations in 38 states were interviewed for a national level study by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) starting in June 2021. The 2021 NAHMS swine study focuses on the health, health practices and biosecurity employed by swine producers in this country. These confidential national studies have been occurring every 5-8 years for 30 years. National or population estimates of this type have found use in trade negotiations, providing objective information to the swine industry, policymakers and researchers of all types.
The term "population estimates" means that when NAHMS publishes a percent, an average or a ratio the estimates apply directly to the target population under study. In research, a population estimate used for a sample size calculation is very difficult to get. More information is available here.
The NAHMS Swine 2021 study will give the swine industry 30 years of national snapshots. There are two components to the study, a large and a small.
The small component was handled entirely by NASS and occurred from June to the end of July 2021. The target population was U.S. swine operations with fewer than 1,000 pigs with smaller sites being more heavily selected. NAHMS hopes to provide new information regarding animal health and management practices used on these operations, as well as the alternative marketing strategies that some farms implement (e.g., show pigs, organic).
The large component was started with interviews by NASS enumerators in July 2021 (Phase 1) with USDA Veterinary Services (VS) representatives planning to go out for a second interview approximately the second week of October 2021 (Phase 2). The target population is U.S. swine operations with 1,000 or more pigs and approximately 2,500 operations will be selected from 13 of the Nation’s top swine-producing States (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and South Dakota).
Operations who were interviewed in Phase 1 and agreed to be contacted by VS representatives about the possibility of participating in Phase 2 will be contacted about that participation (a second interview) in October. That interview can be scheduled completely around the producers crop harvest schedule. In Phase 1, NASS gathered basic housing, production and husbandry information on participating sites.
In Phase 2, trained VS or State veterinarians or Animal Health Technicians will be asking about specific health conditions, the prevention/treatment of health conditions and feed rations in growing pigs. For example, producers will be asked if they had any problems with PRRS between December 1, 2020 and May 31, 2021 and what were their vaccination and control protocols surrounding PRRS. National estimates of disease incidence and disease treatments produced in Phase 2 are very valuable to the swine industry. Please ask your clients to participate in Phase 2 if they were visited by NASS in Phase 1.
Free Salmonella, E. coli, Campylobacter and Enterococcus fecal cultures (from grower/finisher pigs) and antimicrobial susceptibility testing will be offered to producers who participate in Phase 2 interviews. In addition, oral (from grower/finisher pigs) fluid test results regarding the prevalence Senecavirus A (SVA) will be offered.
The 2021 study components will provide the swine industry with:
- Information about the US swine industry that is useful for trade negotiations.
- Information about sourcing of pigs and feed for swine farms as well as destination types for swine leaving the farm. This is useful for foreign animal disease transmission modeling and resource planning for such an event.
- Factual information about modern swine management and medication usage to help rebut claims by those that oppose livestock raising.
- Objective measurements that show swine producers’ livelihoods (e.g., production parameters) were affected in 2020.
For more information contact Charles Haley at (970)-225-1377 or charles.a.haley@usda.gov.