Last week?s confirmation of African swine fever (ASF) in the Dominican Republic heightens the need for regionalization agreements.
U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) President and CEO Dan Halstrom says that, while the ASF findings are very concerning, the U.S. industry is well-prepared for these situations, and extensive safeguards are in place to protect the health of the U.S. swine herd.
Halstrom says that the confirmation probably won?t have and immediate impact on trade since the USDA already prohibits pork and pork products from the Dominican Republic from entering the U.S. due to classical swine fever. However, he adds that work needs to be done on regionalization agreements that will allow exports to continue from non-impacted areas in the event of a U.S. outbreak.
For more information, visit usmef.org.
