Representatives of the Dominican government and international agricultural health organizations recently joined together to sign the Biosecurity Fund for Dominican Pig Farming; while also establishing regional and global biosecurity standards for the prevention of African swine fever and other diseases on farms and ranches.

The bilateral agreement, sponsored by the United States Embassy through USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Agricultural Bank and several national pig farmers' federations, was signed within the framework of closing the ASF Incident Command in the country, once elimination of the disease has been established.

The Minister of Agriculture, Limber Cruz, thanked the international organizations involved, the entire technical and professional team, and above all the producers who cooperated to ensure that the Dominican Republic is free of the dreaded disease. “This agreement invites us to implement in the country the biosecurity systems that will allow us to maintain controls and protections, traceability, vaccination and inspection procedures on farms, as well as a disease-free pig sector,” he explained.

At the event, Cruz reported that the country already has a vaccine against ASF, brought from Vietnam. It is already replicated by local laboratories, thanks to the efforts of the government of President Luis Abinader and international organizations.

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The conclave was held at the Convention Center of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with the participation of international experts: Silvia Kreindel of USDA-APHIS, representatives of the United States Embassy, Jeromi McKim and Gina Rosario, representatives of IICA; former President Hipólito Mejía, the administrator of Banco Agrícola, Fernando Durán; Fernando Fernández of ADOGRANJA, Francisco Israel Brito of FEDOPORC, other authorities and local producers.