Clean chain approach for African swine fever in smallholder settings

Book excerpt: African swine fever (ASF) is a highly fatal infectious disease of domestic and wild pigs with no effective vaccine or treatment. The incursion of ASF into Asia and the Pacific region has been a major concern as the region is the major pig production area, which produces over 58 percent of pigs globally (FAOSTAT). The impact of ASF on economies and food security is increasingly worrying. As the disease continues to expand into new territories, preparedness and control activities need to be constantly adjusted to adapt to situations observed in the field that may be contrary to what was expected based on international standards or experiences from other parts of the world. Through various regional and national consultation meetings, affected countries have requested technical relevant technical guidelines for ASF control that are practical especially for smallholder pig farmers in the context of Asia (SO5). This volume is the fourth of the series of the “Guidelines for African swine fever (ASF) prevention and control in smallholder pig farming in Asia” which outlines the principles of an ASF clean-chain system for smallholder pig producers in Southeast Asia. It provides recommendations on the practical application of good biosecurity management practices combined with traceability in smallholder pig systems necessary for the continued production and supply of commodities along the pork value chain irrespective of the prevailing ASF virus risk situation.