Parliamentary Secretary Drouin announces over $9.6 million to help the Canadian pork industry to prevent and prepare for a possible African swine fever outbreak

LONGUEUIL, QC , May 17, 2024 /CNW/ - The Government of Canada is protecting the resilience of Canada's rural communities and the Canadian pork sector by supporting prevention and preparedness measures for African swine fever (ASF).

ASF is a viral disease that only impacts pigs. While it has not been found in Canada to date, as it spreads around the globe, it poses a significant risk to the health of the Canadian swine herd, the pork industry, and the Canadian economy.

Today, Francis Drouin, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, announced an investment of up to $9,645,586 to fund 29 African Swine Fever Industry Preparedness Program (ASFIPP) projects in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.

This investment will fund ASF research, improved biosecurity measures, wild pig management activities, retrofits of existing abattoirs, regional preparation for the welfare depopulation and disposal of healthy hogs, and sector analysis, engagement and education tools, and will help ensure the sector is prepared should a case be detected. 

Quotes 

"Animal diseases, including African swine fever, are a serious threat to Canada's pork sector, and it's vitally important that all orders of government and industry take steps to prevent and prepare. These projects are a key part of Canada's efforts to prevent an ASF outbreak while ensuring our pork sector is ready to respond." 

-       The Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food

"To be successful in countering foreign animal diseases, cooperation between the federal, provincial, and territorial governments, and industry is crucial. This program not only supports our pork industry's commitment to prevention and preparation efforts against African swine fever, it also supports efforts to prevent and prepare for other potential foreign animal diseases."

-       Francis Drouin, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food

"The Canadian Pork Council has been thrilled to work with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) as it delivers on its commitment to industry preparedness through the African Swine Fever Industry Preparedness Program (ASFIPP). This crucial and innovative initiative, part of AAFC's broader efforts to enhance biosecurity and disease management in Canadian agriculture, reflects a shared commitment to safeguarding our pork industry's resilience and sustainability through embracing new ideas and an industry-wide approach. This initiative, and its proactive approach, underscores our commitment to invest in advanced technologies, rigorous training, and collaborative partnerships to fortify our defenses against African Swine Fever and other potential threats. This strategic focus not only protects our swine producers and their livelihoods but also upholds Canada's reputation as a reliable supplier of safe and high-quality pork products globally."

-       René Roy, Chair of the Canadian Pork Council

"We would like to thank the Canadian government for its participation in the efforts to prevent African swine fever. This is a sword of Damocles dangling over the heads of every member of our industry. Les Éleveurs de Porcs is a long-standing, leading partner in this effort, and has been very proactive in advancing the work to ensure that we are ready to manage and limit the damage to farmers caused by such a crisis. This financial assistance is essential, as are compartmentalization and zoning agreements with countries with which we trade pork and pork products."

-       Louis-Philippe Roy, president of the Éleveurs de porcs du Québec and the Équipe québécoise de santé porcine

Quick Facts

• Preventing and preparing for foreign animal diseases is a shared responsibility between federal, provincial, and territorial governments, and industry.
• A detection of ASF in Canada would immediately stop exports of pork products and live pigs, which could significantly impact the pork industry, a major economic driver which supports over 100,000 direct and indirect jobs and generates over $24 billion for the Canadian economy.
• ASF is not a threat to human health, it cannot be transmitted from pigs to humans, and it is not a food safety issue. However, it is a contagious and deadly viral disease affecting both domestic and wild pigs.
• Since 2018, ASF has spread through parts of Asia and Europe, and was detected in the Caribbean in 2021. It has never been found in Canada or the United States.
• The $23.4 million ASFIPP was launched in 2022 and to help Canada's pork industry prepare for the possibility of ASF entering the country. The ASFIPP is still accepting applications.
  • African Swine Fever Industry Preparedness Program: Prevention and Preparedness Stream
  • African Swine Fever Industry Preparedness Program: Welfare Slaughter and Disposal Stream
• The Canadian pork industry exports roughly two-thirds of its pork production and millions of live hogs per year. In 2023, pork exports were valued at $4.7 billion, excluding the 6.7 million live swine exported throughout the year.

Associated Links

• African swine fever (CFIA)
• African Swine Fever Industry Preparedness Program (AAFC)
• ASF Executive Management Board (Animal Health Canada)
• Pan-Canadian ASF Action Plan (Animal Health Canada)
• New milestone reached in the protection of Canadian pigs and pork industry against African swine fever
• Government of Canada helping pork producers prepare for a possible outbreak of African swine fever
• Minister MacAulay announces support for Animal Health Canada's work to prevent and prepare for animal disease outbreaks

Backgrounder

African Swine Fever Industry Preparedness Program projects

On May 17, 2024, the Government of Canada announced over $9.6 million in funding for 29 projects under the African Swine Fever Industry Preparedness Program (ASFIPP). The projects must be completed by March 31, 2025.

The ASFIPP has five priority areas for projects:

• Biosecurity assessment and improvements including wild pig management;
• Sector analysis, communication and engagement;
• African swine fever-related research projects;
• Processor retrofits; and
• Regional preparation for welfare slaughter and disposal of surplus healthy hogs

The 29 projects are:

Recipient Organization	AAFC Funding	Province	Priority Area	Project focus
2076939 Ontario Inc. O/A Cornerstone Group	$757,893	Ontario	Regional Preparation for Welfare Slaughter / Disposal	This project aims to invest in CO2 storage, a mobile CO2 trailer, a portable swine depopulation system, and a commercial wash bay for cleaning and disinfection.
Alberta Pork Producer Development Corporation	$1,103,274	Alberta	Biosecurity / Wild Pigs	This project aims to implement new approaches to: producer education on African swine fever, Biosecurity, eradication of wild boars at large, Biocontainment, and provide equipment and training for on-farm response for field staff in industry.,
Aliments Asta	$93,539	Quebec	Retrofits	This project aims to install a slaughter line to process surplus healthy hogs in the event of an ASF outbreak.
Canadian Pork Council	$412,971	Ontario	ASF Research	This project aims to develop an ASFMeter: a portable, low-cost tool for rapidly diagnosing African swine fever virus in the field.
Éleveurs de porcs du Québec	$167,431	Quebec	Biosecurity / Wild Pigs	This project aims to improve the Quebec pork industry's preparedness for the introduction of ASF through: 1. Detecting and raising awareness about ASF and biosecurity among small-scale pig and wild boar farmers and owners of pet pigs. 2. Transition of the Quebec hog manifest from paper format to an electronic tool.
Éleveurs de porcs du Québec	$37,447	Quebec	Regional Preparation for Welfare Slaughter / Disposal	This project aims to adapt, develop and implement a legal framework for crisis management for the Quebec pork industry. It will focus on amendments to the marketing agreement and production restriction guidelines.
Équipe québécoise de santé porcine (EQSP)	$658,546	Quebec	Regional Preparation for Welfare Slaughter / Disposal	This project aims to prepare producers for the closure of export markets by providing logistical, financial and operational planning with tools and technologies for mass depopulation of surplus healthy hogs.
HyLife Foods LP	$533,131	Manitoba	Retrofits	This project aims to retrofit HyLife Foods' processing plant to be ready to move depopulated surplus hogs destined for disposal out of the processing plant, while maintaining normal production.
HyLife Ltd.	$873,534	Manitoba	Retrofits	This project aims to design and build a portable depopulation system and acquire trailers for hauling and removing disposed animals.
Manitoba Pork Council O/A Manitoba Pork	$418,000	Manitoba	Biosecurity / Wild Pigs	The objective of this project is to utilize the expertise and experience of the swine industry within Canada to conceptualize, assemble, and test a low-cost rapid deployment depopulation unit for adult swine that can be used on-farm for full-barn depopulations or at a centralized site.
Manitoba Pork Council O/A Manitoba Pork	$285,340	Manitoba	Regional Preparation for Welfare Slaughter / Disposal	This project aims to assess the feasibility of 60 hog farms across Manitoba to identify suitable carcass disposal locations.
Maple Leaf Foods Inc.	$118,575	Alberta	Retrofits	This project aims to develop engineering plans to be able to retrofit for mass depopulation of surplus healthy hogs and then move directly to a truck for disposal.
Maple Leaf Foods Inc.	$361,000	Manitoba	Regional Preparation for Welfare Slaughter / Disposal	This project aims to fabricate and assemble the components to build a fully mobile system needed to complete on-site mass depopulation of surplus healthy hogs.
Maple Leaf Foods Inc.	$204,000	Manitoba	Regional Preparation for Welfare Slaughter / Disposal	The project aims to complete the pre-engineering/detailed design for the Brandon site to support mass processing of surplus healthy hogs.
Olymel LP	$641,623	Alberta	Retrofits	This project aims to modify the Red Deer processing plant to be ready to humanely process surplus healthy hogs destined for the landfill.
Ontario Pork Industry Council	$156,090	Ontario	Biosecurity / Wild Pigs	This project aims to develop biosecurity recommendations and design concepts to reduce disease transmission risks associated with assembly yards.
Ontario Pork Industry Council	$144,687	Ontario	Biosecurity / Wild Pigs	This project aims to train and prepare key players in the pork industry to help with welfare slaughter and herd depopulation in the event of an ASF outbreak. An already developed training course (knowledge and hands-on training) will be delivered. The project will also create and acquire training aids for use after the project ends.
Ontario Pork Producers' Marketing Board	$367,912	Ontario	Biosecurity / Wild Pigs	This project aims to create farm-specific planning for humane depopulation and disposal of healthy surplus animals for all Ontario commercial swine farms; and survey available on-farm resources.
Ontario Pork Producers' Marketing Board	$88,000	Ontario	Biosecurity / Wild Pigs	This project aims to evaluate the existing Ontario Swine Incident Command Centre program structure and identify and address gaps.
Ontario Pork Producers' Marketing Board	$175,973	Ontario	Regional Preparation for Welfare Slaughter / Disposal	This project aims to operationalize and facilitate the prompt deployment of two newly built Emergency Mobile Depopulation trailers in response to an ASF or other foreign animal disease event.
PEI Hog Commodity Marketing Board	$959,530	Prince Edward Island	Regional Preparation for Welfare Slaughter / Disposal	This project aims to develop a new animal depopulation technology that considers the welfare of both the operator and the animal. The technology applies to multiple species and is planned to be fully scalable from single animal to large commercial size.
PEI Hog Commodity Marketing Board	$26,040	Prince Edward Island	Sector Analysis, Communication, Engagement	This project aims to prepare Animal Health Emergency Handbooks and ensure producers complete them to have a good working knowledge of available resources.
Pork Producers Association of Nova Scotia	$13,090	Nova Scotia	Biosecurity / Wild Pigs	This project aims to train individuals on the proper use of equipment already owned by Pork Nova Scotia, in an effort to prepare for potential disease outbreaks.
Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture	$68,523	Saskatchewan	Regional Preparation for Welfare Slaughter / Disposal	This project aims to assess the geological suitability of two locations to be used, in the event of an ASF outbreak and market closures leading to the need for the large-scale disposal of surplus healthy hogs.
Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture	$17,148	Saskatchewan	Regional Preparation for Welfare Slaughter / Disposal	This project aims to develop an operational plan for a large-scale central disposal site for surplus healthy hogs in case of an ASF outbreak and market closures.
Saskatchewan Pork Development Board	$460,949	Saskatchewan	Biosecurity / Wild Pigs	This project aims to: 1) Determine locations of feral swine populations through surveillance 2) Increase the capacity of ongoing population control 3) Develop and implement an educational campaign to inform the public, producers and industry about the risks of feral swine.
University of Guelph	$118,415	Ontario	ASF Research	This project aims to develop a model to estimate the production impact of a disruption to swine production and marketing with an interactive user interface.
University of Saskatchewan	$94,435	Saskatchewan	ASF Research	This project aims to develop a rapid peptide-based diagnostic assay to allow for surveillance and detection of ASF.
University of Saskatchewan	$258,490	Saskatchewan	ASF Research	This project aims to identify African swine fever virus antigens.

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Minister MacAulay announces support for Animal Health Canada's work to prevent and prepare for animal disease outbreaks
Government of Canada helping pork producers prepare for a possible outbreak of African swine fever

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