The recently published Impact Report from the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services’ (APHIS) highlights several ways APHIS is protecting the U.S. pork industry.
“No matter what challenges we faced, we rose to the occasion and made sure that our work of safeguarding America’s agriculture and natural resources, protecting vulnerable animals, and feeding and clothing the world continued,” APHIS said in a release on July 9.
Some of the 2023 Impact Report highlights impacting swine include:
- Continued to assist the Dominican Republic and Haiti in their African swine fever (ASF) program by providing advice and assistance on surveillance, quarantine, depopulation, and disposal methods; providing testing support; outreach; staff training; expanding surveillance; and bolstering in-country testing capacity.
- Continued to enforce an ASF protection zone in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands; enhanced pre-departure activities by adding temporary staff, canine detector teams, and x-ray machines, as well as conducting training for staff in inspecting for animal products; and increased Smuggling Interdiction and Trade Compliance market surveys in the protection zone to identify potential regulated or prohibited product and ensure its removal from the marketplace.
- Awarded $2.3 million to further support 14 National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN) projects to enhance the early detection of high-consequence animal diseases.
- Facilitated new markets for a wide range of U.S.-origin animals, animal products, plants and plant products including animal products and live animals to Israel worth an estimated $75 million over the next 5 years and fresh grapefruit to Vietnam worth an estimated $5 million per year.
“Our work at APHIS touches every American, although many may not know it,” APHIS Administrator Michael Watson says in the report. “They range from consumers who can enjoy a variety of safe, nutritious foods; to family farmers and ranchers who stake their livelihoods on the health of their crops, flocks and herds; and airline passengers who trust us to reduce wildlife strike hazards, to name a few.”
