With less than two months until the World Pork Expo is set to happen at Des Moines, Iowa, and organizers have made the tough call to cancel this year’s event.
The move comes out of “an abundance of caution” as African swine fever (ASF) continues to wreak havoc in much of China and other parts of Asia.
“While an evaluation by veterinarians and other third-party experts concluded negligible risk associated with holding the event, we have decided to exercise extreme caution,” says David Herring, National Pork Producers Council’s (NPPC) president. “The health of the U.S. swine herd is paramount; the livelihoods of our producers depend on it. Prevention is our only defence against ASF, and NPPC will continue to do all it can to prevent its spread to the United States.”
African swine fever affects only pigs and presents no human health or food safety risks. There is currently no vaccine to treat the swine disease.
The World Pork Expo hosts approximately 20,00 visitors per year. NPPC made the decision to cancel this year’s event as more than 100 U.S pork producers gather in Washington this week to meet with their members of Congress during NPPC’s Legislative Action Conference.
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