News

Ibach on strengthened ASF protections

The USDA has made public a list of stronger protections against African Swine Fever. Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Greg Ibach tells Brownfield Ag News, “It’s so crucial that we work together with the (pork) industry to try to safeguard and keep it out of the United States in the first place.”

To that end, he says they’re expanding the “Beagle Brigade” to sniff out prohibited pork and other food products from coming into the country, “We’re going to purchase and train 60 new teams of beagles to be at airports and seaports,” bringing the total to 179.

Ibach says, among other things, they are also increasing inspections at garbage feeding facilities, “We’re going to increase our surveillance of some of the food waste utilization in livestock feed to make sure that’s being cooked and processed properly before it can be used in livestock feed.”

Ibach says the USDA had been a silent partner with the U.S. pork industry monitoring African Swine Fever in Europe before it even hit China last August. He says until there’s a vaccine, biosecurity at all levels is key to keeping ASF out.