Canada commits over $500 million to protect hog producers from African Swine Fever threat

The Canadian government is taking significant steps to protect rural communities and the pork industry from the threat of African Swine Fever (ASF).

Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), Lawrence MacAulay, revealed a funding commitment of up to $567.16 million to support hog producers if key export markets for Canadian pork and live pigs are closed due to an ASF outbreak in the Canada or the U.S.

Although Canada is currently ASF-free, even a single case would trigger international trade restrictions, severely impacting the pork sector, which relies heavily on exports. This could lead to substantial costs for hog producers and force them to consider drastic measures like herd depopulation.

AAFC will collaborate with provinces and territories to develop agreements, potentially increasing the funding to reflect a 60:40 cost-sharing arrangement with regional partners.

This funding is part of a broader strategy to prevent and manage ASF outbreaks. Key initiatives include:

• The African Swine Fever Industry Preparedness Program (ASFIPP), which has allocated $15.5 million to 28 recipients for 44 projects aimed at early detection and emergency response.
• Enhanced measures at ports of entry, such as additional detector dog teams and increased scrutiny of goods from ASF-infected countries, to prevent the virus from entering Canada.
• Ongoing awareness campaigns targeting travelers and small-scale producers.
• Collaboration with North American partners to harmonize testing protocols and share intelligence.
• Active ASF research by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and partnerships with international and private entities to develop vaccines and antivirals.
• Establishment of zoning arrangements with several trading partners, including the U.S., EU, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Vietnam, with more in progress.

Minister MacAulay emphasized the importance of this funding, stating, “Thanks to the hard work of our pork producers, Canada can provide top-quality pork to Canadians and nearly 80 countries worldwide. This funding ensures we support hog producers in the event of an outbreak, while we work to contain the virus quickly and regain access to our key export markets.”