Eligible organizations can apply for funding under a program designed to prepare the country’s pork industry for the possibility of African swine fever’s entry
Eligible organizations can now apply for funding under the government of Canada’s African Swine Fever Industry Preparedness Program (ASFIPP). The CA$23.4 million (US$17.5 million) program is designed to help Canada’s pork industry prepare for the possibility of African swine fever (ASF) entering the country.
Funding for the new program was set aside in August 2022 to support projects such as biosecurity assessments and improvements, wild pig management, the retrofit of existing abattoirs, sector analysis and ASF-related research projects.
Applications from academic institutions, associations, businesses, Indigenous groups, and provincial/territorial/municipal governments will be accepted until November 30, 2023, and the funding will be distributed over two years. Program information and details on how to apply can be found on AAFC’s website.
ASF is a fatal swine disease that spreads through direct and indirect contact with infected pigs, pork and pork byproducts. No case has ever been found in Canada. Since 2018, however, ASF has spread across parts of Asia, Europe and the Caribbean. The ASF virus cannot be transmitted to humans, and is not a food safety risk. But a single case of ASF in Canada would immediately result in the closure of Canada’s borders to pork exports, which accounts for 70% of Canadian pork production.
Canada is recognized as an international leader when it comes to preventing and controlling the spread of foreign animal diseases into and within the country. This new program, combined with close collaboration among domestic and international partners, demonstrates the federal government’s continued leadership in preventing and preparing for ASF.
