MacAulay addresses ASF concerns

Feb 25, 2019

North America needs to be ready in the event the disease arrives, the ag minister said

By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com

A devastating swine disease was among the topics North America’s three federal ag ministers discussed during the USDA’s Outlook Conference in Washington, D.C. last week.

Hog farms in more than 15 countries, including Russia and China, have tested positive for African Swine Fever as it spreads across Asia, Africa and Europe.

North American officials should put together a proactive approach to manage the disease in case it arrives on the continent, rather than searching for ideas afterwards, said Lawrence MacAulay, Canada’s ag minister.

“What I want to happen is be as ready as we can should (the disease arrive) here,” MacAulay told reporters Friday. “We are posting more on social media, posting in airports (and) increasing fines for anybody that tries to import meat” from countries affected by the disease.

Undeclared food can result in fines up to $1,300 per item, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency says.

ASF surveillance also includes monitoring feed imports, and “making sure you have to be certified to bring (feed) in and all prevention measures that can take place will take place…” MacAulay told reporters.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.