Manitoba Pork welcomes Canada’s ASF zoning agreement with Japan

Jun 16, 2026

Today, the Government of Canada and the Government of Japan announced an agreement on the mutual recognition of containment zones in the event of an outbreak of African swine fever (ASF). ASF is an internationally reportable disease that has devastated swine herds around the world. It is important to note that ASF has not been detected in pigs in Canada.

“Manitoba Pork congratulates the Canadian Minister of Agriculture, Hon. Heath MacDonald, for accomplishing this critical milestone. We would also like to thank Hon. Norikazu Suzuki, the Japanese Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries for his and his government’s engagement and collaboration,” said Cam Dahl, Manitoba Pork general manager.

The detection of African swine fever in Canada would be catastrophic for both the Manitoba and Canadian hog sectors and would result in not only a prolonged closure of international borders to pork and live animal exports, but a significant financial impact to our province and country. Manitoba hog farmers and pork processors export 90% of the 8.5 million pigs that are produced in the province every year. Closure of borders would be devastating to the industry, jobs in both rural and urban areas, and the provincial GDP.ASF is currently spreading throughout countries in Europe and Asia and was discovered last year in the Dominican Republic.

Zoning agreements assist in quickly resuming trade, which will lessen the impact of any outbreak and allow the industry and the province to return to normal operations.

Canada currently has zoning agreements with:

• United States

• European Union

• Singapore

• Hong Kong

• Vietnam

• United Arab Emirates

• Philippines

“With the addition of Japan to this list, about 55% of Canadian pork exports are covered by ASF zoning agreements,” Dahl added. “Considering a potential agreement with Mexico, this number will climb to 65%. These agreements, and the government and industry collaboration that led to them, significantly reduce the risk of financial harm to the Canadian economy from this disease.”

Video: Season 7, Episode 1: Managing Risk and Seeing Opportunities in U.S. Pork Production

Today’s episode features three guests discussing the similarities and differences between pork production in the United States and Brazil, along with strategies for managing risk in today’s industry while recognizing and acting on opportunities. First, Dr. Anne Caroline de Lara, executive manager of live pig production at Seara Alimentos, a JBS company in Brazil, is joined by Dr. Matthew Turner, head of operations for JBS Live Pork. Together, they discuss how labor, climate and ventilation challenges vary between Brazil and the United States, while underscoring their shared commitment to raising healthy pigs. They also point to lessons producers in both countries can take from one another’s systems and on-farm experiences. Then, Brady Reicks, risk manager at Reicks View Farms, shares his perspective on risk management, drawing from his background in markets and his transition into farming. He discusses how protecting margins varies by operation and offers practical approaches producers can use to make marketing and business decisions with greater confidence rather than hesitation.

Both conversations were recorded at recent industry events focused on swine livability, including the International Conference on Pig Livability and Iowa Swine Day.