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Pig farmers brace for possibility ASF enters U.S.

Pig farmers continue to brace for the possibility African swine fever enters the U.S.

Dale Stevermer raises pigs near Easton in southern Minnesota and tells Brownfield the industry is fortunate to have a few years lead time following the first case of ASF in China.

“And really started to get people aware that things can hit in a large-producing country.”

Despite a lack of transparency by the Chinese government since the outbreak began, he says countries like Vietnam have partnered with the U.S. to better understand how to combat the virus.

“Look at some of the techniques that work and don’t work for limiting the spread or how to handle an outbreak, so we’ve had time. But it’s more important that it’s been a very coordinated response.”

Stevermer says that response team includes the National Pork Board and National Pork Producers Council, as well as USDA.

Brownfield interviewed Stevermer during Minnesota Pork Congress earlier this week.