Canada commits over $500 million to protect hog producers from African Swine Fever threat

Mar 13, 2025

The Canadian government is taking significant steps to protect rural communities and the pork industry from the threat of African Swine Fever (ASF).

Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), Lawrence MacAulay, revealed a funding commitment of up to $567.16 million to support hog producers if key export markets for Canadian pork and live pigs are closed due to an ASF outbreak in the Canada or the U.S.

Although Canada is currently ASF-free, even a single case would trigger international trade restrictions, severely impacting the pork sector, which relies heavily on exports. This could lead to substantial costs for hog producers and force them to consider drastic measures like herd depopulation.

AAFC will collaborate with provinces and territories to develop agreements, potentially increasing the funding to reflect a 60:40 cost-sharing arrangement with regional partners.

This funding is part of a broader strategy to prevent and manage ASF outbreaks. Key initiatives include:

The African Swine Fever Industry Preparedness Program (ASFIPP), which has allocated $15.5 million to 28 recipients for 44 projects aimed at early detection and emergency response.
Enhanced measures at ports of entry, such as additional detector dog teams and increased scrutiny of goods from ASF-infected countries, to prevent the virus from entering Canada.
Ongoing awareness campaigns targeting travelers and small-scale producers.

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Video: Intrauterine Vaccines in Swine - Dr. Heather Wilson

In this episode of The Swine it Podcast Show Canada, Dr. Heather Wilson from VIDO at the University of Saskatchewan explains how intrauterine vaccination is being developed as a new option for swine health. She shares how formulation, adjuvants, and delivery methods influence immune responses and what early trials reveal about safety and reproductive performance. Listen now on all major platforms.

"The idea was that an intrauterine vaccine might avoid a tolerance response and instead create an active immune response."

Meet the guest: Dr. Heather Wilson / heather-wilson-a8043641 is a Senior Scientist and Program Manager at the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization at the University of Saskatchewan. Her work centers on vaccine formulation and delivery in pigs, including the development of intrauterine vaccination to support reproductive health and passive protection of piglets. Her background spans biochemistry, immunology, and functional pathogenomics.