Posted March 17, 2014
Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow
(D-MI) and Senator Kay Hagan (D-NC) have asked Agriculture Secretary Tom
Vilsack to approve disaster assistance for small pork producers affected by a
deadly pig virus, according to a news release from Sen. Stabenow’s office
available here. Agri-Pulse also reported on the story here.
The Porcine Endemic Diarrhea Virus (PEDv) has killed
over four million pigs nationwide since April 2013. PEDv has a mortality rate of nearly 100
percent for piglets under two weeks old.
Currently, no vaccine or treatment for the virus exists.
The Senators wrote, “Pork producers that have been
impacted by PEDv face economic devastation, these producers are finally
experiencing periods of higher margins after prolonged periods of razor thin
profits. If this disease persists, pork
herds will continue to diminish and producers risk going out of business.”
The Senators also asked USDA to increase research for a
vaccine and other interventions for the virus.
For more information on disaster assistance programs,
please visit the National Agricultural Law Center’s website here.
