The Saskatchewan government is funding swine disease mitigation efforts with $700,000 as well as $300,000 going to Sask Pork.
The Sask Pork support is to provide help to the industry in the event of potential market closures due to an animal health emergency such as African swine fever or ASF. Ag officials add the funding will support the creation of a cull line at the sow processing plant being built in Moose Jaw. This would allow for humane slaughter of domestic hogs if a serious swine disease outbreak ever temporarily stopped trade.
African swine fever is a viral disease that only impacts pigs. To date, ASF has never been detected in Canada.
The public can reduce the risk of ASF infection by declaring all animal and food products, as well as out-of-country farm visits at the border, when entering Canada, to prevent the spread of foreign animal diseases.