Using 'extreme caution,' pork leaders cancel Des Moines expo to prevent disease from U.S. entry

Using "extreme caution," a national pork board on Wednesday said it has canceled its annual June conference in Des Moines, wanting to prevent a highly contagious disease from entering the U.S.

African swine fever has been discovered in China and other countries but hasn't made an appearance in the United States.

The National Pork Producers Council said it would be safest for the U.S. herd to cancel the World Pork Expo, which attracts about 20,000 visitors annually to the Iowa State Fairgrounds.

Visitors attend from 40 countries, including areas that have tested positive for the disease.

"Producers have been very concerned about the risk of African swine fever," said Jen Sorenson, vice president of the council's board.

"Experts and veterinarians told us the risk was very low but we still wanted to take precautionary measures" to prevent the introduction of the disease, said Sorenson, who is also communications director at Iowa Select Farms.

The deadly disease affects only pigs and presents no human health or food safety risks.

Even with "negligible risk" the council "decided to exercise extreme caution," said David Herring, the council board's president and a North Carolina producer.

"The health of the U.S. swine herd is paramount; the livelihoods of our producers depend on it," Herring said. "Prevention is our only defense."

No vaccine exists to treat the swine disease.

It's a big loss for Des Moines hotels, restaurants and other businesses, said Greg Edwards, CEO of Catch Des Moines, the group representing the metro area's convention and visitors bureau and sports commission.

Last year, the event brought in about 5,200 hotel room stays and $6.3 million in spending.

"It's really a big event for us," said Edwards, whose staff will target the leisure traveler in Iowa and neighboring states to try to offset the loss.

"We respect and understand the decision, but it will be difficult to replace that size of business. It's highly unlikely that we'll find a big-sized convention over those days," Edwards said, adding that several large events are scheduled in Des Moines this summer, including the U.S. Track & Field Championships.

The National Pork Registry said Wednesday it still plans to hold its pedigree pig exhibition, which typically runs the same time as the World Pork Expo at the fairgrounds.

The registry, an association for Duroc, Hampshire and other purebred pigs, is hammering out details about where the June 2-8 event will be held. The live swine event attracts hundreds of exhibitors.

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The decision to cancel this year's World Pork Expo comes as more than 100 U.S pork producers gather in Washington this week to meet with their members of Congress.

U.S. pork producers are asking Congress to provide funding for 600 new U.S. Customs and Border Protection agriculture inspectors to further strengthen defenses against African swine fever.

"Our farmers are highly export dependent," Herring said. An African swine fever "outbreak would immediately close our export markets at a time when we are already facing serious trade headwinds.

"The retaliatory tariffs we currently face in some of our largest export markets due to trade disputes are among the factors that prompted a conservative decision regarding World Pork Expo. U.S. pork producers are already operating in very challenging financial conditions," Herring said.

An ongoing trade dispute between the U.S., China, Mexico and other countries is depressing prices for pork, soybeans and other ag products.

Sorenson said canceling the three-day expo is a "big deal for Iowa and the U.S. industry."

"It's a time for producers to come together, network, go to seminars, do business and work to continuously improve our farms," she said.

"We're disappointed, but we know it's the right decision," Sorenson said. The disease would "be devastating for Iowa," the nation's largest pork producer.

U.S. pork sales reach $20 billion annually.

Iowa Agriculture Secretary Mike Naig in October encouraged pork producers to be on the lookout for signs of the disease and contact a veterinarian if they detect symptoms, including high fever, decreased appetite, diarrhea, vomiting and weakness. Pigs infected can also exhibit red or blotchy skins or have blackened lesions. 

The virus is easily spread between pigs by direct contact or indirectly from contact with contaminated objects. The virus can survive on shoes and clothing, vehicles, in feed components and uncooked or undercooked meat.

“China has about 700 million pigs, or half the world’s swine population, so these discoveries are a serious concern,” Naig said.

Its discovery in China "takes the threat of this swine disease to an entirely new level," Herring said.

"We ask all producers, travelers and the general public to recognize the heightened risk since the first outbreak was reported in China last year and to heed biosecurity protocols in support of U.S. agriculture," he said.

African swine fever had previously been detected in Russia, eastern Europe and Africa.