USDA is partnering with the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA), National Pork Board and the National Pork Producers Council as part of its continued efforts to prevent African swine fever (ASF) from entering the U.S. Through enhanced coordination and information sharing, the four entities will enhance and strengthen ASF prevention and preparedness efforts.
“A detection of ASF in U.S. pigs could devastate the pork industry,” USDA Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Jenny Lester Moffitt said in a release. “Prevention is the best way we can protect the United States from ASF. USDA has many efforts geared at preventing the introduction of ASF, and this new partnership with NASDA and industry is one more tool we can use in the fight.”
This collaborative effort will help ensure response plans are consistent and have been tested, and that producers receive the information and tools they need to protect their herds.
“This new effort builds on the expansive work that USDA has continued to do to keep ASF out of the U.S.,” Moffitt explained in the release. “We strongly value our longstanding working relationship with states and the pork industry, and this formal partnership will help ensure a swift and coordinated response in the event ASF is detected here.”
ASF is a deadly, highly contagious viral disease that affects both domestic and wild pigs. It does not impact human health but quickly spreads between swine populations. People can also unknowingly spread the disease on their clothing, farming equipment or by transporting uncooked pork products, USDA said. ASF has never been detected in the U.S. but was discovered in the Dominican Republic and Haiti in 2021, the closest detections to the U.S. in decades.
If ASF entered the U.S., the results would economically devastate pork producers and anyone whose livelihood involves pigs. Some of the impacts include a drop in hog prices of up to 50%, a halt in U.S. pork and pork product exports, widespread disruptions in pork production, job loss, a culling of the herd, an immediate stop movement of live swine and semen throughout the country for at least 72 hours or more.
Read more about the ASF Situation in the Dominican Republic and Haiti
More information about USDA’s efforts to prevent ASF, including downloadable materials and interactive training guides, is available at the Protect Our Pigs website.
