ASF Preparedness Program Now Open to Applications

The application period for funding under Canada’s new African Swine Fever Industry Preparedness Program (ASFIPP) is now officially open. 

Originally announced back in the summer, the $23.4-million program is designed to help Canada's pork industry prepare for the possibility of African swine fever (ASF) entering the country. Money will go toward such projects 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, according to a federal release. Program information and details on how to apply can be found on AAFC’s website: Agricultural programs and services. 

ASF is a fatal swine disease that spreads through both direct and indirect contact with infected pigs, pork, and pork by-products. No case has ever been found in Canada, but since 2018 it has spread across parts of Asia, Europe, and the Caribbean. 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.