Mike Pearson examines African Swine Fever across the globe and what is being done to stop it from hitting the shores of the United States.

The USDA APIS has declared Oct. 2-6 African Swine Fever Week. The disease has never been detected in the United States and the hope is that by educating hog producers and owners, it is never found here.

The disease which is almost always fatal in hogs was found on the island of Dominican Republic and Haiti in 2021. It decreased the pork production there by 28 percent and it's estimated to be closer to 36 percent in 2023. This is destroying their ability to be self sufficient in producing pork.

The illness was originally found in 2018 in China.

The goal is to educate pork producers on the best management practices to stop the illness from coming to the USA. Prevention is the best defense for the hogs in this country.

If it is found in the USA, the country and expect to see a $75 billion loss and could take 10 years to eradicate the illness.

Check out the website, https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/resources/pests-diseases/asf/asf next week for best management practices and other health related tips to top the illness including videos and social media challenges.

Farm Progress America is a daily look at key issues in agriculture. It is produced and presented by Mike Pearson, a farm broadcaster and host of This Week in Agribusiness.