FULTON COUNTY FAIR SWINE MARKET PROJECTS REQUIRED TO BE RACTOPAMINE (ex. Paylean) FREE IN 2020
Ractopamine Free Swine Exhibition Letter
With an eye on the international markets, the Fulton County Senior Fair Board has elected to follow the ‘ strong urging by the Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) and has opted to require all 2020 Fulton County Junior Fair market swine exhibitors (l)and respective swine breeders (2) to sign the ODA produced waivers stating that (1) their hog has been ractopamine free while in their possession and (2) their hog has been ractopamine free since birth, while in the breeder’s possession. While ractopamine remains a useful and legal product in the US and 26 other countries, meat produced with the aid of ractopamine is banned in 160 countries including China, which imports 27% of US pork. It is hard to believe that junior fair swine from Fulton County can enter international slaughter channels but they can through the local packers our Fair typically sells to.
With this in mind, all 2020 market swine exhibitors and respective breeders will need to complete the ractopamine free.affidavits. The affidavits will be emailed-to all Junior Fair exhibitors enrolled in market swine projects at the end-of April. The affidavits are currently available at https://fulton.osu.edu/program-areas/4-h-youth-development/junior-fair-forms for intermediate download. These affidavits state that your projects received no ractopamine while in your possession or in the breeder’s possession must be signed and turned in at weigh-in. At no time during the swine’s lifetime should the swine project receive ractopamine.
Furthermore, trace amounts of ractopamine (trade names Pay lean, Optaflexx, or Engain) fed previous years may remain on your premises through residual manure in pens or trailers, through residue on feeding equipment (troughs, barrels, scoops, bins, augers), and, through residue in the hogs environment (porous pen materials, fan blades, fan housing, gates). All of these-surfaces and utensils must be thoroughly cleaned mechanically, washed thoroughly with soap and water, rinsed and dried prior to use in 2020.
The current tests available to packers and used to insure a ractopamine free-product to the marketplace can detect very minute trace amounts of ractopamine – 0.25ppb (parts per billion). Therefore, it is imperative that if in previous years you have fed ractopamine to project animals, that your equipment, premises, and trailers be thoroughly cleaned as described. · Refusal to submit both signed affidavits will result in rejection of the project at weigh-in at the 2020 Fair. Testing for ractopamine use in 2020 swine project animals will be at the.discretion of the fair board. “If violators contaminate the market, they will be held liable for all financial losses. Please contact Neal Callender, Junior Fair Co-Director in Charge, at 419-467-0537 or Kayla Miller, Fulton County 4-H Youth Development Extension Educator, at 419-3 3 7-9210 with any questions. We look forward to a successful ractopamine free 2020 Fulton County Junior Fair.
Neal Callender
Fulton County Senior Fair Board Member, Fulton County Junior Fair Co-Director in Charge