As African Swine Fever disrupts the pork industry, supporting roles, such as the feed industry, also see an impact. Experts say ASF will have three times the economic impact of Mad Cow Disease in the early 2000s because it impacts so many other industries.
Leah Wilkinson is the vice president of public policy and education for the American Feed Industry Association. She explains how feed prices and costs of operations are impacted by the threat of ASF.
She says the feed industry has been looking at new biosecurity measures in case African Swine Fever does enter the U.S. This includes transportation and how to adjust the movement of feed and people to prevent ASF from spreading between the feed mills and the farms.
Animal food is not the most likely way that African Swine Fever or another disease will enter the U.S., but it’s possible, Wilkinson explains. She says to prevent spreading ASF through the feed supply chain: exclude high-risk feed ingredients (research finds this is whole grains and seeds) and extend biosecurity practices from farms to feed mills.
Other issues that are top of mind for the association in 2022 are labor shortages and domestic transportation infrastructure. She says AFIA is investing in marketing the industry as a great lifelong career.
