USDA to ban national pig shipments if African swine fever is detected
The USDA has announced that it will prohibit shipments of all pigs for at least three days if the nation ever finds a case of African swine fever (ASF).
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced that it will prohibit shipments of all pigs for at least three days if the nation ever finds a case of African swine fever (ASF), which has decimated China’s hog herd by 40% and pushed pork prices to record highs. According to Reuters, since the China outbreak, ASF has broken out in 10 countries in Asia.
“First and foremost, USDA is committed to doing all it can to prevent ASF from entering the United States, and we greatly appreciate the pork industry’s vigilance and partnership in this successful effort thus far,” said Greg Ibach, USDA under secretary for marketing and regulatory programs, at a pork forum last week. “However, the additional measures I am announcing today will strengthen our ability to quickly and effectively respond to the disease if detected here at home.”
To prevent the virus from leaving infected premises, the USDA said it would work proactively with industry and states to ensure producers have herd plans to deal with carcass disposal in line with regional and local requirements, supporting composting and burial in place as preferred options. To reduce paperwork, the agency said it plans to pay for virus elimination at “a uniform, flat rate, based on the size of affected premises.”