Question Period Note: AFRICAN SWINE FEVER

Q1 – What measures is the Government of Canada taking to address the threat that the global spread of African swine fever poses to swine in Canada?
Q2 – How has the Canadian Food Inspection Agency tested or validated its preparedness efforts?
Q3 - What other work is being done to support Canada’s pork industry in preparing for and responding to the disease?
Q4 - What is the status of an African swine fever vaccine or treatment?
Q5 – What risk is posed by Canada’s invasive wild pig population and what actions are being taken?
Q6 – What actions has Canada taken in response to the detection of African swine fever in Spain in November 2025?

R1 - The federal government continues to be vigilant and is working with all levels of government and engaging with stakeholders, including industry to prevent African swine fever and prepare for the threat it poses to Canada.

A pan-Canadian approach is being implemented with a focus on four key areas: prevention and enhanced biosecurity; preparedness planning; business continuity; and coordinated risk communications. This approach lays the groundwork for a timely and coordinated response intended to mitigate the potential scope and impact of an outbreak.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has led the development of a national surveillance system to support early detection of the disease. If found in Canada, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency has also developed comprehensive response plans and proactive trade arrangements to help reopen export markets and resume trade sooner.

Similarly, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada has developed programs to support Canada’s pork industry in preparing for and maintaining business continuity if an outbreak occurs. Through the African Swine Fever Industry Preparedness Program, which closed in March 2025, up to $15.4 million has been invested in 44 projects across Canada’s pork-producing regions. All projects are now complete, and considerable progress has been made in areas such as increased depopulation capacity; enhanced provincial emergency preparedness and disposal capacity; and the implementation of wild boar control measures.

Strong import controls are also in place. These measures are enforced by Canada Border Services Agency and Canadian Food Inspection Agency officers, with detector dogs identifying food, plant, and animal products that may carry the disease at entry points.
R2 - The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is dedicated to safeguarding animal health and has made significant progress in African swine fever response preparedness through drills, tabletop exercises, and full-scale simulation exercises designed to test readiness and identify gaps and areas for improvement.

These exercises have helped stakeholders refine complex plans and emergency procedures. They have also contributed to a shared understanding of what to expect during an African swine fever response, including coordinated communications, laboratory capacity and surge readiness, trade resumption and other critical actions relevant to African swine fever and other emerging zoonotic diseases.
R3 - The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is committed to safeguarding animal health and welfare and has proactively engaged with multiple trading partners to finalize trade arrangements. Following an outbreak and once conditions allow, these arrangements are intended to support the resumption of Canada’s pork exports sooner.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada is also working with provincial governments to develop a support mechanism aimed at managing surplus hog populations and preventing or minimizing animal welfare issues that could arise following an outbreak. This program would support hog producers with the extraordinary costs of managing healthy, surplus hogs and help lessen impacts on producers’ financial stability and mental well-being following a loss of market access.

In addition, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada is working in collaboration with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to conduct ongoing research on pathogen survival in the environment.

The Government of Canada continues to raise awareness about African swine fever. This includes reminding travellers not to pack pork, urging farmers to maintain strong biosecurity measures on their farms and encouraging hunters to report wild pig sightings.
R4 - There is currently no treatment or vaccine approved for use in Canada. While significant progress has been made, no African swine fever antivirals or vaccines yet meet Canadian requirements or vaccine standards published in spring 2025 by the World Organization for Animal Health.

Canada is recognized as a global leader in scientific and technical expertise related to African swine fever. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease in Winnipeg is officially recognized as a World Organization for Animal Health Reference Laboratory for African swine fever, one of only seven worldwide.

Canada continues to monitor emerging and novel strains of the African swine fever virus in Asia and Africa. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is collaborating with organizations in the United States, Europe and Vietnam to advance research and support the development of a safe and effective vaccine.
R5 - Invasive wild pigs cause significant ecological damage, destroy wildlife habitat, damage crops, and pose risks to human safety. They can also carry and spread diseases that threaten both wildlife and livestock, including African swine fever.

The Government of Canada continues to work closely with provinces, territories, and other stakeholders to implement Canada’s Invasive Wild Pig Strategy, which aims to eradicate invasive wild pigs from Canada by 2032. Through the African Swine Fever Industry Preparedness Program, several projects were implemented across Canada to support wild pig surveillance, population control and awareness.

If African swine fever is detected in invasive wild pigs, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency will lead the emergency response in close collaboration with all levels of government, Indigenous communities, and relevant stakeholders to contain the disease and limit its impact. A tabletop exercise to explore a response involving wild pigs is being planned for February 2026.
R6 - Following the detection of African swine fever in Spain in November 2025, Canada acted immediately to manage risks to animal health and maintain Canada’s disease-free status.

On December 17, 2025, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency recognized Spain’s zoning for African swine fever, allowing trade to resume from disease-free areas of the country.

In 2024, imports of pork and pork products from Spain totaled $16.8 million, including various specialty products such as Iberian and Serrano hams.

Risks and impacts of African swine fever to Canada’s hog industry

African swine fever (ASF) is a reportable disease under the Health of Animals Act, which means that any suspected case must be reported to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). To date, ASF has never been reported in Canada.

While ASF does not affect human health or food safety, its introduction into Canada would have serious consequences for the health of Canada’s pigs and would significantly disrupt the entire pork value chain. It is estimated that the Canadian hog sector contributes an estimated $24 billion to the economy and supports roughly 100,000 jobs.

In 2024, Canada exported over 1.47 million tonnes of pork, valued at $5.5 billion dollars to 81 countries including 6.76 million live hogs exported from Canada to the United States.

In the event of an ASF detection in Canada, all export markets for live pigs, swine semen and embryos, and pork products would immediately close, and some markets could remain closed for several months or longer.

The Government of Canada continues to work extensively with international trading partners to prevent the introduction of ASF and to mitigate its potential impacts in Canada.

Actions to date

The CFIA, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), and Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) are engaging with industry representatives, as well as with provincial and territorial governments. Through the ASF Executive Management Board, stakeholders provide leadership and strategic direction through the Pan-Canadian Action Plan on African Swine Fever.

This plan outlines four pillars:
• Enhanced biosecurity and prevention
• Preparedness planning
• Ensure business continuity
• Coordinated risk communications

The action plan also supports the development of response tools, such as depopulation and disposal decision aids, financial recovery support for producers and processors and an African swine fever communication plan.

AAFC continues to work with provincial governments to develop and implement a support program in advance of an outbreak. This program aims to enable the orderly, timely and humane destruction and disposal of healthy hogs rendered surplus due to ASF-related market disruptions. An initial commitment of up to $567 million in federal funding has been allocated for this program. At the onset of an outbreak, this overall commitment may increase as agreements are signed with provinces and territories to reflect 60:40 cost-shared funding with provincial and territorial partners and ensure there is sufficient funding to meet the program objective.

To minimize the impact of ASF, the CFIA has finalized zoning arrangements with several close trading partners and is continuing to negotiate with other trading partners. Should an outbreak occur, these arrangements aim to allow trade to resume sooner.

The CFIA is monitoring the international disease situation closely and has strong import controls in place to prevent the entry of live pigs, swine semen and embryos and pork products and by-products from ASF-affected countries and zones.
The Government of Canada has implemented extensive ASF-related communications, including targeted advertising campaigns, airport signage and in-flight messaging to travellers, as well as targeted outreach to small producers, retailers, and travellers.

The CFIA has made significant progress on its ASF response policy, the ASF Hazard
Specific Plan. Drills, tabletop exercises and full-scale simulation exercises are being used to validate stakeholder preparedness and identify gaps and areas for improvement. Multiple national training courses have also been delivered to emergency responders across the country to support the implementation of these plans.

• The Government of Canada is committed to addressing the threat of African swine fever with robust prevention and preparedness measures.
• While African swine fever has never been detected in Canada, it continues to spread globally and would pose a serious risk to the health Canada’s swine herd, the pork industry, and the broader Canadian economy.
• The Government of Canada is working closely with domestic and international stakeholders to prevent and prepare for the potential introduction of African swine fever.
• In March 2025, as part of a proactive disease response approach, the Government of Canada announced up to $567.17 million in federal support for hog producers affected by the closure of key export markets following the onset of an African swine fever outbreak.