State discovers swine fever in the North West
HOG FARMERS HAVE BEEN UNDER PRESSURE FROM PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP S TRADE DISPUTES WITH CHINA AND MEXICO
The government has detected an outbreak of African swine fever in the North West‚ but consumers of pork do not need to be concerned. This is the assessment of Wandile Sihlobo‚ chief economist of the Agricultural Business Chamber of SA.
On Wednesday, Reuters quoted the Paris-based World Organisation for Animal Health as saying the outbreak killed 32 out of a herd of 36 pigs on a farm in the Ditsobotla district‚ with the remaining animals slaughtered. The disease is incurable in pigs but harmless to humans. It spread across China last year‚ causing major losses there.
Sihlobo said on his blog he had confirmed the North West report with the CEO of the SA Pork Producers’ Organisation‚ Johann Kotzé‚“who has clarified that these were specifically wild pigs”. He said based on assurances he had received from Kotzé there is no imminent threat to the SA pork industry‚ or consumers. “So‚ go on folks and eat your bacon‚ ribs‚ pork belly sandwiches ...
“The outbreak was detected early‚ with good response from the government veterinarians, who are now hard at work to ensure that it is controlled.”
A recent report from the Food and Agricultural Organisation of the UN suggests that China has culled more than 1million pigs in an effort to control the spread of African swine fever since August 3 2018.
“Fortunately‚ SA is nowhere close to what we are witnessing in China. I hope that the outbreak is controlled successfully‚” said Sihlobo.
The department of agriculture‚ forestry and fisheries has issued an advisory about the detection of fall armyworm
in the Western Cape.
“Larvae of the fall armyworm (FAW) were detected for the first time in late March 2019 on sweetcorn in the Western Cape‚ near the Clanwilliam area. The FAW moths were detected in several areas in the Western Cape between June and August in 2018‚” the notice stated.
FAW is a quarantine pest. It attacks maize‚ sweetcorn and sorghum in SA‚ but it may feed on other crops in the vicinity if maize plants or its primary food source is not available.
The department said FAW is present in all the provinces in SA and the level of infestation varies according to climate and host availability. “Farmers and community members are advised to take precautionary control measures, such as scouting and trapping, to ensure early detection and effective control of FAW,” it said.
THE OUTBREAK WAS DETECTED EARLY‚ WITH GOOD RESPONSE FROM THE GOVERNMENT VETERINARIANS, WHO ARE HARD AT WORK
The US pork industry has cancelled its annual convention over concerns that international attendees could bring in an incurable hog disease at a time when US farmers are already suffering from trade wars.
The decision to scrap the World Pork Expo, referred to as the “big pig gig” and held by the National Pork Producers Council in Des Moines each June, signals growing fears about the spread of African swine fever in Asia. The event usually attracts about 20,000 people over three days, including visitors from China and other countries that have experienced outbreaks of the disease, says the group.
China, home to the world’s largest hog herd, has reported more than 110 cases of African swine fever since it was first detected in August 2018. There is no cure and no vaccine for the disease, which does not affect humans but is highly contagious and fatal to pigs.
The Paris-based World Organisation for Animal Health said on Wednesday SA detected an outbreak of African swine fever, which has also been found in Vietnam and Europe.
US farmers, meat companies and government officials want to keep the disease out of the country because cases are likely to shut off export markets.
“The health of the US swine herd is paramount,” said David Herring, president of the National Pork Producers Council and a farmer from Lillington, North Carolina. “The livelihoods of our producers depend on it.”
The US government has increased screenings for illegal pork products at airports and sea ports and cracked down on smuggling. US pork producers are asking Congress to appropriate funding for another 600 US customs and border protection agriculture inspectors, according to the National Pork Producers Council.
US hog farmers have been under pressure over the past year from President Donald Trump’s trade disputes with China and Mexico, two top US pork export markets. US pork faces retaliatory duties of 62% in China and up to 20% in Mexico, reducing demand and contributing to a mountain of unsold meat in cold storage.
The tariffs influenced the decision to cancel the annual convention, according to the group. “US pork producers are already operating in very challenging financial conditions,” Herring said.