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.
|
Related products
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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