The National Pork Producers Council commended U.S. Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack for dedicating $500 million in USDSA CCC funds for prevention of African Swine Fever. South Dakota Pork Producer’s Council President Shane Odegaard also appreciates the Ag Department’s support in helping them prevent ASF from reaching the U.S mainland.

He says if ASF showed up it would devastate the U.S pork industry. Odegaard adds that it’s simpler to work on keeping the disease out rather than dealing with it once it’s here.

Odegaard says he and his fellow producers have taken a proactive approach with ASF and other foreign animal diseases by stepping up the biosecurity on their operations.

ASF is not a threat to humans but is highly contagious among hogs and has a nearly 100 percent mortality rate, recently which was detected in the Dominican Republic and in Haiti. That’s the first time in 40 years the disease has been in the Western Hemisphere.