Moscow | Reuters — Russia said on Thursday it was suspending pig imports from the United States due to concern about outbreaks of the porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDv).
The suspension takes effect on Friday, Russian state agricultural oversight agency Rosselkhoznadnor said in a statement.
“This disease is spreading over more and more territory of various countries including the United States, Mexico, Canada and Japan,” the agency said, adding it was concerned about the continued worsening of the situation in the U.S.
A farm in the state of Indiana became the first to confirm publicly it suffered a second PEDv outbreak, fuelling concerns the disease that has wiped out 10 per cent of the U.S. hog population would be harder to contain than had been expected. [Related story]
Read Also
Feed Grain Weekly: Prices in a slow decline
Seasonal weakness and recent rains across the Prairies pressured feed grain prices according to a Moose Jaw-based trader.
The Russian agency said it was halting imports “with the aim of preventing the disease from being brought into Russia.” Russia normally receives substantial supplies of live pigs from the U.S., according to the agency.
It said U.S. pigs designated for export to Russia before Friday would be quarantined and tested in Russia.
The top importers of live pigs from the U.S. are China, Mexico and Russia, according to the U.S. Agriculture Department.
USDA says the virus — which since early last year has been confirmed in hogs on just over 6,800 farms across 30 states — poses no risk to human health and is not a food safety issue.
In Canada, where the virus first appeared in January this year, the disease has been confirmed in hogs on 62 farms, mainly in southern Ontario. — Reuters, with files from AGCanada.com Network
