Ohio poultry association (OPA) serves as the official state agency (OSA) for the commercial portion of the national poultry improvement plan (npip)

The Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) awarded the Ohio Poultry Association a Cooperative Agreement for $199,442 on April 1, 2026, under the Plant and Animal Disease, Pest Control, and Animal Care program (CFDA 10.025).

The Ohio Poultry Association serves as Ohio's Official State Agency for the commercial portion of the National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP) and executes disease surveillance and biosecurity functions for APHIS Veterinary Services. The award funds four primary objectives: general avian health support, laboratory diagnostics, training, and preparedness and response. Deliverables include conducting approximately 48 biosecurity audits on commercial poultry farms, hatcheries, and slaughter plants to ensure compliance with federal regulations; maintaining poultry movement records for intrastate and interstate bird tracking; distributing laboratory reports for premovement and NPIP testing; providing surveillance support during H5 or H7 avian influenza detections; and delivering education and training to industry partners on biosecurity and disease prevention. The recipient will also maintain and update the state's Initial State Response and Containment Plan and preserve producer, grower, and company contact information for rapid outbreak response coordination.

Period of performance runs April 1, 2026 through March 31, 2027, with place of performance in Ohio. The Ohio Department of Agriculture collaborates with the recipient as a subrecipient providing laboratory testing services.

They execute several functions that serve ohio, the nation, and the commercial poultry industry well, protecting said industry and the public by early detection, biosecurity planning and rapid control of salmonella typhimurium, salmonella pullorum and H5 and H7 avian influenza. This cooperator works in close concert with ohio department of agriculture (ODA). The cooperator will perform several integral functions for aphis veterinary services. They will plan includes conducting biosecurity audits on commercial poultry farms to ensure compliance with the code of federal regulations, maintain poultry movement records, specifically 9-3S for intrastate and interstate bird movements, and track and distribute laboratory reports as required for premovement and npip maintenance testing. They serve as a critical resource for streamlined control area surveillance when an H5 or H7 detection occurs. They will maintain producer grower and company contact information, which is shared with emrs for accurate and rapid planning in responses. They maintain and update all revisions of the initial state response and containment plan (isrcp), which serves as the templat e for response when a poultry disease outbreak occurs, and provides for education and training of industry partners. Deliverable and expected outcomes for the cooperative agreement will center around four objectives, to include general avian health support, laboratory diagnostics, training, and preparedness and response. General avian support will include approximately 48 biosecurity audits that will ensure code of regulation compliance. These 48 audits will include a combination of npip laboratory audits and site visits that are operated by various poultry companies, hatcheries, and slaughter plants. Data entry and recordkeeping will include daily monitoring of npip AI programs, database management entering 9-2 forms and managing lab reports over 15 databases, maintain good communication with approved production units and labs to ensure prompt AI reporting, meeting notes and facilitating the development of the isrcp. The cooperator will provide annual review of that data to evaluate status of farms, and collaborate with veterinary services to share data with emrs. Laboratory diagnostics would include npip commercial and backyard flock testing. These tests will include 1095 PCR tests. Training will include attendance and active participation in the npip biennial conference to include 3 nights lodging, airfare and associated travel expenses for two people. Regarding preparedness and response, the initial response and containment plan (isrcp) was created as a state/federal tool to prepare for and respond to low pathogenic avian influenza. Over the past couple of years, this plan is evolving to be a state response plan for high pathogenic avian influenza. This grant cycle will include a review and exercise of the isrcp to help ohio streamline their response in commercial poultry, which will translate well to responses in backyard poultry. The impact of this cooperative relationship contributes to protecting over npip commercial EGG, CHI cken, and turkey producers, contributing well over $26.1 billion to the ohio economy, and more than 17,000 jobs directly tied to those industries. Ohio is ranked no. 2 in the nation for EGG production with more than 11 billion produced each year, no. 9 in the nation for turkey production with nearly 300 million pounds of turkey produced, and 17TH nationally in chicken production with more than 570 million pounds produced each year. More important than economics, the ohio producers play an important role in securing food for the world. Budget: recipient personnel and fringe-- $112,355; recipient travel, mostly in state with one npip biennial conference-- $36,704.40; supplies-- $2 ,500.08; contractual- PCR testing-- $29,751.15; indirect costs-- $18,131.37