Citing an abundance of caution, the National Pork Producers Council announced its decision to cancel World Pork Expo 2019 as African swine fever continues to spread in China and other parts of Asia. The National Pork Board President Steve Rommereim says they support the move because prevention is the only defense against the disease and because the United States ag sector can’t afford to have this disease enter the country.
Experts have speculated ASF China’s herd losses from 10-percent to as high as 30-percent, but Rommereim says no one really knows.
Rommereim says the only real evident is if China is in the export market buying pork and they were this week with a nearly 78,000 metric ton purchase from the U.S.
World Pork Expo in Des Moines, hosts approximately 20,000 visitors over three days, including individuals and exhibitors from ASF-positive regions.
Meanwhile, pork producers are asking Congress to appropriate funding for 600 new U.S. Customs and Border Protection agriculture inspectors to further strengthen defenses against African swine fever.
