News

NPPC VP confident coronavirus response boosts ASF prevention

The newly elected vice president of the National Pork Producers Council suggests the response to coronavirus will help protect the U.S. against African swine fever.

Terry Wolters, a pork producer from Pipestone in southwest Minnesota, says the threat of ASF lessens with fewer people traveling abroad.

“A lot of our fear in cross-contamination would be something that came in from a foreign country, food products that potentially would have the virus in them.”

If African swine fever enters the U.S., he tells Brownfield he’s confident in USDA’s recently announced response plan.

“The producer is going to be able to have a clear confidence that the government is involved (and) will work through the challenges. There’s going to be a 72-hour stop movement that’s going to go into play.”

USDA Undersecretary Greg Ibach unveiled the plan during last week’s National Pork Industry Forum.