Feedlots prep for disaster

With more than 70 percent of the state's fed beef on the High Plains, the question is how to protect the industry, not "Where's the beef?"

After 18 months and $1.4 million, planners have completed many of the tasks needed to help many of the area's livestock businesses minimize and survive the consequences of natural or man-made disasters.

On top of the 2.5 million cattle on feed at any one time, there are 90 percent of the state's hogs in the region and dairies producing 1 million gallons of milk a year just for Hilmar Cheese in Dalhart.

"The loss of large-scale feeding operations, from any cause, will result in catastrophic economic losses," said Walt Kelley, project manager of the Regional Resiliency Assessment Program.

"All emergency managers need to include animal issues as an important element to emergency operations plans and response actions."

A Panhandle Regional Planning Commission advisory committee oversaw development of the project involving business leaders, county judges and other emergency management offices like sheriff's departments.

Advisers included "representatives from the region's major livestock producer associations, academia, emergency management and state/federal agencies that govern agriculture operations," according to a news release.

A prominent theme during the planning process was the threat of disease, like hoof-and-mouth disease, arriving through natural means or after being introduced by terrorists.

"The development of the Feedyard Biosecurity and Business Continuity Plans ... will allow cattle feeders in the Texas Panhandle and throughout the TCFA service area to be better prepared for natural disasters and respond to a foreign animal disease," said Ross Wilson, president and CEO of Texas Cattle Feeders Association.

Planners looked at all sorts of disease outbreak scenarios, from livestock truck traffic being locked down to thousands of cattle corpses to deal with. At the same time, people would be trying to contain any ill effects and keep whatever business is able to operate running or to be ready to operate as soon as possible.

"The biosecurity and business continuity guides are designed to function as templates for multiple livestock industries in addressing the most significant threats to facility operations. Facility plans consist of selected measures to mitigate potential hazards and vulnerabilities," according to the news release. "The result is customized, scalable and trainable plans that can be updated as needed by facility management."

The tools identified in the development of the process can be used to improve the survivability of livestock operations farther afield.

"The longer-term benefits will come from the dialogue that was maintained by the region's stakeholders throughout the course of the project," said John Kiehl, PRPC's regional services director. "If we can build on what has been started with this ... by taking the conversation into other states, we can make serious strides in protecting an industry that is critically important to the entire nation."