August 3, 2023
Manitoba Pork has received $944,340 from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s African Swine Fever Industry Preparedness Program to aid in the preparation and preparedness work in the fight against African swine fever (ASF), the organization announced today. The funding is divided between three projects: increased funding to support the work of the Squeal on Pigs Manitoba initiative, funding to aid in communicating with small-scale pork producers in the province, and a project to support the development of a response plan in the event a case of ASF is found in the province.
“Animal diseases like ASF have a significant impact on the economy and on the mental health of producers,” said the Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food. “Investing in these proactive initiatives, led by Manitoba Pork, will help protect animal health and ensure the sector remains resilient and competitive internationally.”
The detection of African swine fever in Canada would be catastrophic for both the Manitoba and Canadian hog sectors and would result in not only a prolonged closure of international borders to pork, but a significant financial impact to our province and country. It is important to note that ASF does not pose a health risk to humans, other animals, or the food system, and to date, has not been detected in pigs in Canada. ASF is currently spreading throughout countries in Europe and Asia and was discovered last year in the Dominican Republic.
“African swine fever poses a tremendous risk to our province’s hog sector, and we need to do everything we can to ensure that we are prepared in the event that horrible day comes upon us,” Manitoba Pork chair Rick Préjet said. “We want to commend the federal government for not only stepping up with funding to support producers and our sector, but for their continued engagement on preparatory work with our producers and our staff to ensure that we are best prepared for an outbreak.”
Manitoba Pork continues to work with partners in the federal government, provincial government, and with producer organizations and processors, along with other stakeholders across the hog sector on preparatory work in the event of an ASF outbreak. This work is focused on major areas such as communications, disease response, animal welfare, and financial support for industry, among others.
Backgrounder
Squeal on Pigs Manitoba - $813,867 (federal contribution: $691,787)
Building off the success of the Squeal on Pigs Manitoba program, Manitoba Pork will receive $691,787 in federal funding to increase activity around the surveillance, education, and outreach activities of the program. This program serves as a pilot program for the rest of the country and provides a model that other provinces can use to develop their own project.
Presently the program is staffed by project coordinator Dr. Wayne Lees and three field staff on the ground, as well as being supported by staff with Manitoba Pork in the areas of swine health and communications.
New funding will be deployed in multiple ways, including:
• Bringing the total staff employed by the project up to five;
• Expanding the capacity to capture and remove wild pigs;
• Monitoring and reporting on pig control activities;
• Expanding the public outreach campaign to include new tactics;
• Testing and deploying new surveillance methods and equipment;
• Developing and refining an information system to track results;
• Supporting and evaluating research across the country that shows promise;
• Supporting the development of a national strategy to eradicate wild pigs.
Communication with small-scale producers - $71,836 (federal contribution: $61,060)
In other countries dealing with African swine fever outbreaks, cases have been found in small operations or on farms with multiple different breeds of livestock. Funding under this stream will help Manitoba Pork improve biosecurity and food safety practices of small-scale pork producers by increasing awareness, sharing, and developing communications materials, and creating a network of small-scale producers who have access to a variety of education materials. Deliverables will include webinars, how-to videos, social media content, and e-newsletters, among other materials. This project will act as a pilot project for other jurisdictions who may be interested in better connecting with small-scale producers in their area.
ASF response plan - $263,010 (federal contribution: $191,493)
Manitoba Pork has identified the need to develop an integrated response plan for African swine fever, completed in consultation with the federal and provincial government, taking into consideration:
• Establishing a joint incident command structure
• Developing industry-facing communications regarding topics such as movements, surveillance, and animal welfare among others
• Developing a depopulation strategy
• Developing a disposal strategy
• Developing a movement reporting and prioritization strategy
• Integrating surveillance work
This work will be done by contracting a third-party who will assist in providing Manitoba Pork with a historical review and path forward, assisting with stakeholder consultations, drafting an integrated response plan, documenting findings, and presenting gaps and recommendations, as well as communicating findings and final recommendations.
For further information:
Communications and Website Coordinator
Manitoba Pork
(204) 232-4916
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28 Terracon Place
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Canada R2J 4G7
Tel: (204) 237-7447
Toll-Free: 1-888-893-7447
Fax: (204) 237-9831
www.manitobapork.com
