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Livestock at the St. Joseph Stockyards are tagged. Some worry that public health concerns, such as the recent swine flu outbreak, may lead to more government involvement in farming, including a proposal to assign a number to every food animal in the United States.

An outbreak of swine flu may impact the region’s animal agriculture.

The biggest challenge for pork producers is that people associate the disease with pork.

“It has nothing to do with pigs,” said Don Nikodim, executive vice president of the Missouri Pork Association.

The group has been working hard to make sure consumers know you cannot get swine flu from eating pork or from handling raw meat. Pork producers, as well as government agencies, have led an effort to refer to the disease as H1N1 instead of swine flu. Farmers are already dealing with the fallout.

“It’s having a dramatic impact on the people who have been selling pigs the last few days,” Mr. Nikodim said. Swine flu news drove the market down $10 to $15 per hog this week, he said. Others worry that public health concerns may lead to more government involvement in farming.

“There is a risk that the U.S. will attempt to use disease outbreaks as justification for infringement on property rights,” said Bill Bullard, chief executive officer of R-CALF.

The organization, based in Billings, Mont., has vocally opposed a government proposal to assign a number to every food animal in the United States. Mr. Bullard said the current network of producers, veterinarians and state agencies works well.

“The farmers and ranchers who raise cattle are constantly looking out for symptoms of disease,” he said. “Our U.S. beef supply is the safest in the world, and we fight every day to make it safer.”

The National Animal Identification System is a voluntary system where farmers are encouraged to register both their location and animals. The U.S. Department of Agriculture says the system will limit the spread of animal disease and minimize animal losses and economic impact.

The idea of animal tracking gained traction a few years ago when mad cow disease was discovered in the United States. Most producers, however, do not support the idea, said Mark Servaes, manager of the St. Joseph Stockyards.

“They don’t want anybody to trace back what they’re doing,” he said. “It’s a privacy issue.”

Liability is also a concern, considering a disease could be easily transmitted through the air, or through situations such as the stockyards. On Wednesday, about 1,200 head of feeder cattle were sold through the stockyards and shipped out to four states — Missouri, Kansas, Iowa and Nebraska.

Mr. Nikodim said the pork industry in general supports animal ID because most pigs can already be traced. He also said modern production in enclosed buildings makes it easier to prevent disease.

“We can protect our animals and have a better chance of controlling it from getting into the environment,” he said.

Before swine flu, livestock producers faced challenges dealing with E. coli and mad cow disease. Yet, demand for meat remains strong. Research this week by the National Pork Board found that more than eight out of 10 consumers believe pork is safe.

“You’ve got to give the producer credit,” Mr. Servaes said. “They do things right.”

Susan Mires can be reached at susanm@npgco.com.