Iowa Democrat, Indiana Republican Ask CBP to Intensify Agricultural Inspections
Rep. Cindy Axne, D-Iowa, and Rep. James Baird, R-Ind., sent a letter to CBP urging the agency to prioritize inspections and screenings of agricultural imports so that African swine fever doesn't spread to the U.S. The disease, which can spread through equipment and clothing, not just animal-to-animal, has devastated China's pork production, and is endemic in Eastern Europe, and present in South Africa and Belgium as well, they said.
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There are 50 million hogs in Iowa and 8.5 million in Indiana, and the two states provide more than 33 percent of the nation's supply. “If a case occurred in the U.S., pig producers would not only lose a portion of their herd from the disease and culling, but they’d immediately lose their export markets, which account for 25 percent of sales for U.S pork producers,” Iowa Pork Producers Association President Trent Thiele was quoted saying in the July 10 press release. He said that there would be an economic domino effect, because consumers' prices for pork in the U.S. would drop, as the market would be flooded, and then beef producers would lower their prices so as to not lose too much market share to suddenly cheaper pork.