Protect U.S. Pig Farmers, Fund ASF Prevention Efforts
Rep. Cindy Axne (D-Iowa), Rep. Angie Craig (D-Minn.) and Rep. Cheri Bustos (D-Ill.) urged House leadership for $75 million in funding for USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to prevent and prepare for a possible African swine fever (ASF) outbreak in the U.S. swine population.
The letter, also signed by Agriculture Committee Chairman David Scott (D-Ga.), Livestock and Foreign Agriculture Subcommittee Chairman Jim Costa (D-Calif), G.K. Butterfield (D-N.C.) and Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.), requested that House Leadership include this funding in the next continuing resolution or supplemental appropriations package that moves through Congress.
“A confirmed ASF positive sample in any U.S. state or territory would be devastating to the American pork industry and rural economy. An outbreak in any part of the U.S would restrict pork producers from being able to participate in global trade,” the members wrote. “America’s pork producers are a crucial part of the food supply chain domestically and they contribute close to seven billion dollars in global exports. Therefore, significant additional investments in APHIS are vital.”
APHIS confirmed the presence of ASF in samples collected from hogs in the Dominican Republic in July. This is the first time in 40 years that ASF has been in the Western Hemisphere.
“It is critical that USDA has the funds needed to protect the U.S. swine herd from African swine fever,” Jen Sorenson, president of the National Pork Producers Council, said in a release. “Although ASF isn’t a threat to people, among hogs it’s highly contagious with mortality rates approaching 100%. If ASF enters our country and we are unable to control it, hundreds of thousands of American jobs and billions of dollars would be lost. We thank the members of Congress on this letter for their work to protect U.S. pork and call on Congress to act now."
In 2019, Axne led the introduction of the Protecting America’s Food and Agriculture Act to hire, train, and deploy new agricultural specialists to prevent ASF from reaching our food supply. The measure was signed into law in March 2020.
The $75 million for ASF preparedness and response would fund:
-Increased funding of $20 million for additional staff for APHIS-Veterinary Service field force.
-Funding for the National Animal Health Laboratory Network at the authorized level of $30 million.
-$25 million for the National Veterinary Stockpile for large animal depopulation and disposal equipment.
Read the full letter here.
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5 Pork Industry Experts Weigh in on the Threat of ASF
Close All the Windows to Keep ASF Out
ASF in the Western Hemisphere: What’s Different 40 Years Later?
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