Whether African swine fever crosses the U.S. border or not, it will come down to each and every pork producer to control the front gate in keeping it out of his or her herd. That was the message echoed by several speakers Thursday during the panel discussion, "African swine fever: What you need to know" at the 51st annual South Dakota Pork Congress in Sioux Falls.

During the conversation, Paul Sundberg, Swine Health Information Center executive director; Dustin Oedekoven, South Dakota state veterinarian; Roger Cochrane, Pipestone Applied Research director of feed mills; and Bob Thaler, South Dakota State University professor and Extension swine specialist, discussed everything from ensuring premise identifications are correct and inquiring about the safety of feed ingredients with suppliers to what items will be included in a 72-hour stop movement and how above-ground burial composting will work during a foreign animal disease outbreak. 

Following the panel discussion, National Hog Farmer had the opportunity to catch up with Sundberg, who shared some of the key action items producers need to consider now, and if, ASF should enter the U.S. swine population.