OTTAWA, ONTARIO — While Canada has yet to report a case of African swine fever (ASF), the country remains vigilant in protecting its supply chain from the disease. On Oct. 30, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) announced an important step in preparedness against the disease.

CFIA released the National Standards and a National Framework to guide the pork industry in the next moves toward implementing the Canadian ASF Compartment Program.

“The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is taking every precaution to protect swine herds and the pork industry from African swine fever,” said Harpreet Kochhar, president of CFIA. “The Canadian ASF Compartment Program underscores our commitment to proactive biosecurity and disease management and strengthens Canada’s position as a global leader in swine health.”

The program is a shared responsibility between CFIA, provincial and territorial governments, the Canadian Pork Council (CPC), and hog producers to support the trade of pigs and pork when ASF is present in Canada.

The Canadian ASF Compartment Program is comprised of three key components: National Standards, National Framework and the Compartment Operator Program (COP). CFIA sets the National Standards and National Framework, while the CPC is responsible for the COP, ensuring that pork producers meet its standards.

Established prior to an outbreak, ASF compartments are the creation of distinct sub-populations of pigs that follow common biosecurity management, surveillance and traceability measures. They are intended to allow for the export of products even if they were to originate from within an infected zone.