NASHVILLE, Tenn. (RFD-TV) — The National Pork Board (NPB) stated that it is monitoring multiple diseases, including African swine fever, and provided an overview of the threat posed by African Swine Fever, as well as its industry’s efforts to ensure the safety of U.S. pork.
“The industry is really focused on all foreign animal disease preparedness, including African swine fever, classical swine fever, and foot and mouth disease,” explained Dr. Meredith Peterson, NPB Director of Swine Health. “The three foreign animal diseases we have in pigs are not currently in the United States. It’s really important for our industry and for our producers that we do everything we can to prevent them from coming to the United States, and then also prepare for if that were to happen. And African swine fever has been a particular focus for the industry, as it was detected on the island of Hispaniola, so the Dominican Republic and Haiti, a few years back.”
Petersen says African swine fever is closer to the U.S. border than it has been in some time, so preparation is vital.
“That’s much closer than it had ever been in the recent past, and so that kind of caused us to increase our preparedness efforts,” said Dr. Peterson. “And so, you’ll see that a lot of the work the industry has done in the last several years has been focused on reducing the risk of African swine fever entry into the country. Specifically with Pork Board work, we’ve done a lot of work developing some programs to help producers be prepared, one of which is the secure pork supply plan, which helps producers prepare for maintaining business continuity. And then another is AgView, which is a program that allows for traceability and easy access for state animal health officials to see where pigs are moving, which is really important in an FAD outbreak.”
Petersen states that African swine fever is endemic on the island of Hispaniola, encompassing both the Dominican Republic.
Farm legal expert Roger McEowen reviews the history of the Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule and outlines how shifting definitions across multiple administrations have created regulatory confusion for landowners.
November 24, 2025 12:38 PM
·
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) estimates that the move will save farmers and ranchers $2.5 billion each year. The group warns that new methods for calculating the adverse-effect wage rate would result in lower pay for foreign workers.
November 24, 2025 11:32 AM
·
These “USDA Foods” are provided to USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) nutrition assistance programs, including food banks that operate The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), and are a vital component of the nation’s food safety net.
November 24, 2025 10:09 AM
·
Tyson’s closure reflects deep supply shortages in the U.S. cattle industry, tightening packing capacity, weakening competition, and signaling more volatility ahead for cow-calf producers and feedyards.
November 21, 2025 07:02 PM
·
Gary Hall, co-founder of Hollywood Impact Studios Rehabilitation, joined the program to discuss using agriculture to provide opportunities and mentorship for at-risk youth in Southern California.
November 21, 2025 02:25 PM
·
Screwworm.gov has targeted resources for a wide range of stakeholders, including livestock producers, veterinarians, animal health officials, wildlife professionals, healthcare providers, pet owners, researchers, drug manufacturers, and the general public.
November 21, 2025 02:09 PM
·
An outbreak of Equine Herpesvirus Type 1 (EHV-1) first appeared after livestock events in Texas and Arizona, and some horses have already died.
November 21, 2025 10:47 AM
·
Removing the 40% duty sharply lowers U.S. beef import costs on beef, coffee, fertilizer and fruit, and restores Brazil’s competitiveness during a period of tight domestic supply.
November 21, 2025 10:30 AM
·
Row crop losses in 2025 are outpacing last year. With no disaster aid yet approved, many operations face a tough financial bridge to 2026 even as Farm Bill improvements remain a year away.
November 20, 2025 05:00 PM
·
