Dominican Republic

Finding the Best ASF Course of Action; It’s Complicated

Fri, 23 Dec 2022 21:50:32 GMT

With the detection of African swine fever virus (ASF) within a pig population, a large question is raised—now what? Unfortunately, the answer is complicated and must consider many factors.

The Dominican Republic is now battling their second round of the virus, with a reintroduction in July 2021. Over 40 years after the first detection, which led to a complete depopulation of the swine population in 1978, the country’s course of action differs greatly this time around. The country is now relying on the use of passive surveillance by farmers and producers, with animal health officials investigating suspicious reports and applying testing, quarantine and movement controls where appropriate to help detect and eradicate ASF-positive herds.

While this current approach is less invasive to the total population, it still comes with a price tag. According to a Frontiers in Veterinary Science article, as of Oct. 2021, the DR’s government has paid over $9.67 million in compensation for more than 74,000 pigs nationwide, representing approximately 3.7 to 7.4% of the population.

So, what is the best course of action?

A variety of factors weigh into such a decision. Specifically, for the Dominican Republic, the swine population not only provides jobs, but for many families, it’s a food source growing in their backyards.

Realizing the need for answers, the Dominican Republic recently conducted a survey of the country’s swine production stakeholders across the value chain to best identify alternative strategies that may help control ASF if implemented.

The Study

Swine industry experts in the Dominican Republic were given three hypothetical scenarios of ASF control and were encouraged to share their analysis of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of each. The scenarios included:
1) Total depopulation of all swine in the DR
2) Partial depopulation, and
3) Continuation of current control measures

Additionally, the experts were asked questions in the areas of biosecurity, surveillance, sampling, movement restrictions, border control with Haiti, vaccine use, wild boar and feral pigs, feed and continuity of business.
Summarized results of the survey, after review in May 2022, were shared with the representatives of the swine value chain groups and designated experts and presented to the Dominican Republic’s government officers.

The Findings

For the first scenario (Total depopulation of all swine in the DR), experts agreed this was a rapid and nearly certain way to eradicate ASF from the country, as well a way to potentially eliminate other diseases prevalent in the country, including Classical swine fever (CSF) and porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS). However, the lack of traceability and knowledge of farm locations would make total depopulation nearly impossible to implement.

“Many social and economic concerns were reported, such as unemployment, loss of fresh pork and market shortages, loss of traditional pork products, and financial losses or bankruptcy for producers,” the report states. “These factors may drive some producers to not comply with control strategies or hide their swine from animal health officials, and the market impact from depopulation could lead to financial and food insecurity for the general public.”

The second scenario (partial depopulation) would leave the DR’s swine industry with a healthy population to support repopulation, allowing for a quicker return to production, as well as allowing the country to maintain a certain level of pork production and labor, lessening the overall financial burden and market disruption. However, similar to total depopulation, the lack of knowledge of farm location is still present.

The third scenario (continue with current control measures) provides the DR with a current availability of high-quality pork and requires a minimal financial investment from the government. However, the continuation of local trade of infected animals leading to disease endemicity and further disruption of the DR pork industry was identified as a downfall.

As the report states, “No clear consensus was apparent about the best strategy for ASF control in the DR and no single scenario was identified as ideal, but important positive and negative attributes (referred to as advantages and disadvantages, respectively) of each scenario were discussed and compared.”

Going Forward

While the main goal of eradicating ASF is common among the industry, “Important concerns were raised for each scenario that are common to ASF control globally, such as social and economic impact of total or mass depopulation, food security, animal welfare, and the ability of governments to implement controls with limited power, veterinary infrastructure or resources,” the report notes.

While no concrete answers were identified, ultimately, the survey identified the challenges that have likely contributed to ASF’s endemicity across the world. The results also improve our understanding of the reasons behind challenges associated with ASF control and suggest the need to explore novel approaches when attempting to control the animal disease, the report says.

U.S. Pork Exports Reach Highest Level of 2022, 126% Increase in Dominican Republic

Tue, 19 Jul 2022 12:10:07 GMT

“U.S. pork exports reached their highest level of 2022 in May in both volume (224,677 mt) and value ($655.1 million),” the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) released.

Mexico demand remains strong and continues as the leading market for U.S. pork. However, the Dominican Republic spurred May export totals with an increase of 126% by volume year-over-year, USMEF explains.

The Dominican Republic’s domestic pork supplies are still highly impacted by African swine fever (ASF), discovered in summer 2021.

“They have lost 20% of their production, so that has turned to import more U.S. pork,” says Lucia Ruano, USMEF representative in Central America and the Dominican Republic. “[Importers] said that they don’t believe that they are going to recover the numbers of production they used to have before ASF because now producing the meat is expensive for them.”

In addition, the Dominican Republic has seen a strong rebound in tourism, increasing demand for the value and flavor profile of higher end pork cuts, USMEF notes.

“They are encouraging tourism to come again to the country. This month, they reached a number of more than 700,000 tourists and that’s a record number after pandemic,” Ruano says.

Ruano adds, the increase in imported pork has been largely due to food service serving high-end pork. U.S. pork is also featured in the country’s rapidly growing retail sector, and demand for pork raw material is strong among Dominican processors, USMEF says.

History Rewind: APHIS Supports the Fight Against African Swine Fever

Fri, 27 May 2022 16:30:45 GMT

In late July 2021, APHIS’ Plum Island Animal Disease Center (PIADC) confirmed the presence of African swine fever (ASF) in the Dominican Republic. In September 2021, neighboring Haiti also reported ASF. APHIS is assisting both countries in addressing the outbreaks by helping with laboratory operations, testing, emergency response, and other support. The Agency and its partners have also ramped up biosecurity and preparedness in the United States and its territories to prevent ASF from breaching our defenses.

This support aligns with APHIS’ previous work on campaigns to stamp out ASF in the mountainous island of Hispaniola, home to the Dominican Republic and Haiti, in the early 1980s. Those efforts—and continual safeguarding and preventive measures—have kept this highly contagious and deadly virus, which still has no cure, treatment, or vaccine, out of the United States for 40 years.

An Immense Undertaking

APHIS’ Dr. Saul Wilson, right, advises Orlando Sanchez Diaz, Executive Secretary of the Dominican Republic’s High Commission for ASF Eradication.

ASF spread from Africa and European nations in the 1960s and 1970s and arrived in Brazil in 1978. That year ASF also entered the Dominican Republic, probably via infected pork scraps from an international flight. Farmers’ use of garbage as swine feed likely spread ASF within the Dominican Republic. Initially, Dominican authorities mistook the disease for hog cholera, which is endemic to Hispaniola. They sent specimens to APHIS’ PIADC, which confirmed ASF on July 5, 1978. At that time, the Dominican Republic did not have an in-country system to handle emergency animal disease outbreaks, so it took a year to start the ASF eradication campaign. Unfortunately, by that time the virus had killed nearly half of the country’s 1.4 million pigs.

ASF also spread from the Dominican Republic into Haiti. PIADC confirmed the presence of the deadly virus there in January 1979.

Brigades to the Rescue

Rather than controlling the outbreak with quarantine and focused slaughter, the Dominican Republic decided to slaughter the remainder of its swine population. In August 1979, more than 90 “brigades” sprang into action. Each brigade consisted of 5 to 10 veterinarians, soldiers, field workers, government appraisers, and other animal health personnel. APHIS played a critical role by helping train veterinarians and supporting public information campaigns to overcome public fears and debunk rumors about eradication efforts.

Dominican officials set up a compensation program. Those with healthy pigs could have them butchered for immediate consumption or be compensated. After the swine had been destroyed, the brigades returned to the owners’ premises, where they cleaned, disinfected, or burned animal pens. Smaller brigades confiscated illegal swine or pork products.

By September 1980, the Dominican Republic had destroyed all domestic swine throughout the country, and other parts of the eradication campaign were also underway. Three months after the last pigs were killed, susceptible swine from the United States were introduced as ‘sentinels’ in free areas to test whether the virus was still present. After those animals remained healthy for 3 months, the government began restocking efforts. Using a similar process, Haiti eliminated its swine population and eradicated ASF in 1984.

Strong Demand in CAFTA-DR Region Bolsters U.S. Pork Exports

Thu, 19 Nov 2020 03:31:17 GMT

With U.S. pork facing trade barriers in some of its largest destinations, building strong demand in Central America and the Dominican Republic has been especially critical for the U.S. pork industry.

Exports to Central America are coming off a record performance in 2018, and through April of this year were up another 11% in volume (29,321 metric tons) and 8% in value ($68.3 million).

Honduras and Guatemala are the largest Central American markets for U.S. pork, but growth leaders in 2019 include Costa Rica, where exports have increased more than 40% year-over-year, and Panama, where shipments are up more than 30%.

Exports to the Dominican Republic - the largest destination for U.S. pork in the region covered by the Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR) - are also ahead of last year’s record pace, with exports through April totaling 14,170 metric tons valued at $31.1 million.

Gerardo Rodriguez, U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) regional marketing director for Mexico, Central America and the Dominican Republic, notes that educational programs have been an essential component of USMEF’s promotional efforts in the CAFTA-DR region, as more customers now appreciate the high quality of U.S. pork and understand the importance of not overcooking the product.

He adds that U.S. pork has benefited tremendously from the market access gains secured in CAFTA-DR. By lowering tariff rates and creating larger tariff rate quotas (TRQs), this agreement has expanded opportunities for a wide range of U.S. pork cuts in the region’s retail, foodservice and processing sectors.