"The Plan" to keep flocks healthy
The National Poultry Improvement Plan (aka NPIP or “the Plan”) is an organization that may have piqued your interest in conversations with fellow poultry producers. Frequently, though, information disseminated about the NPIP may be lacking or incorrect. The reason for these inaccuracies may simply be due to so many different people raising poultry.
From the urban mom keeping five hens to teach her children where eggs come from to the more serious large-scale breeder, everyone who has a hand in rearing poultry in today’s world may have a different situation that applies. Because of this, the NPIP can seem quite confusing at times.
In an attempt to resolve any misunderstandings or misperceptions, we went to the source: the NPIP national office located in Conyers, Ga. We asked the NPIP to explain their organization and provide an insider's view of their program
What is the NPIP?
The NPIP is the National Poultry Improvement Plan, which is a division of USDA APHIS (United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service). The NPIP is a voluntary, cooperative federal-state-industry program to support the development of new diagnostic technology applications for the improvement of poultry and poultry products throughout the US. Today, the NPIP focuses on developing provisions for participants concerning three key diseases in poultry: Salmonella, mycoplasma, and avian influenza.
Its provisions are found within Title 9 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Parts 145, 146, 147, and 56. The Plan establishes the regulatory standard in sample collection, diagnostic tests performed, and the laboratory protocols for conducting tests. Certification programs in the NPIP examine the health status of all commercial flocks through monitoring of primary breeding and multiplier flocks. The NPIP is the longest-standing federally-funded cooperative program for animals in the US.
When did the NPIP get started?
The NPIP traces its roots back to the 1930s as a way to eradicate, or get rid of, Salmonella pullorum from the baby chick industry. Salmonella pullorum, aka pullorum disease or white bacillary diarrhea, was a disease with mortality rates in baby chicks as high as 80 percent.
At a time when the industry was rapidly expanding, tolerating diseases such as pullorum from either a bird health viewpoint or from an economic standpoint didn’t make sense. After developing a rapid serum test in 1927that made diagnosing pullorum easier, the International Baby Chick Association, a vital part of the poultry industry at the time, worked with government officials to host a series of meetings to develop the first provisions for the plan to eradicate pullorum. In 1935, the NPIP was officially established through an Act of Congress and will turn 80 years old this year.
How does the NPIP operate?
The NPIP operates through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Official State Agency (OSA) in each of the 49 participating states. Each OSA is responsible for assigning authorized agents to collect samples and state inspectors to perform selection and testing within the state. All decisions of the OSA are subject to review by USDA-APHIS.
Additionally, the NPIP has an executive board called the General Conference Committee (GCC). The GCC members are elected officials. Six regions of the country are represented by officials in these positions, and the one member-at-large position represents all NPIP participants. The GCC advises the Secretary of Agriculture on matters pertaining to animal health.
Every two years, the NPIP hosts a Biennial Conference. Here, delegates from each participating state come together to vote on proposed changes to incorporate the latest and best technologies available for poultry into the provisions of the plan. Experts within the scientific poultry community, such as corporate veterinarians, university professors, poultry health scientists, laboratory technicians, and backyard flock owners, attend this meeting. Their goal is to collaborate on incorporating the proposed technol