February 26, 2019

North American countries cooperate to stop swine fever

The US, Canada and Mexico are working together to impede African swine fever from reaching the North American nations, US Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said.

The disease has recently hit Vietnam as it continues to beleaguer China's swine sector as well as spreading to Eastern Europe.

The impact of swine fever could affect shipments in the US$6.5 billion export market for US pork if it reaches the US. This development would further complicate matters for an industry that is already coping with consequences arising from the country's trade disputes with China and Mexico.

"Sharing the long borders that we do both on the north and south, it's important that we function together as one," Perdue said at the USDA's annual outlook forum, where he shared a stage with Canadian Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay and Mexico's Secretary of Agriculture Victor Villalobos Arambula.

"All the things that go on in a very mobile world today will only increase the likelihood of things transferring from one nation to another. We are committing even further, based on the most recent African swine fever, to up our game," Perdue added.

In response to current developments, Canada has taken steps including increasing fines for those caught importing meat illegally, MacAulay commented.

"This type of thing is so vitally important because it takes one (case) to cost us billions of dollars. I hope we can deal with this issue not after it comes, but before it comes," he said.

In the meantime, Smithfield Foods, the world's largest pork producer and a division of China's WH Group, has stepped up safety procedures at US farms.

US hog farmers are also playing it safe by keeping animal-feed ingredients imported from China in storage.

- Reuters