Jamaica’s Pig Farmers Warned Of Deadly Virus

KINGSTON, Jamaica CMC – The Jamaica Pig Farmers Association (JPFA) is urging farmers not to dismiss lightly, a deadly virus first diagnosed in the United States last year that could severely damage the local pig industry.

JPFA president, Delroy Manya, said, his organization has been holding several meetings with the Veterinary Services Division of  the Ministry of  Agriculture and Fisheries, and updating members on the virus blamed for the deaths of more than seven million pigs in the United States since it was detected in April last year.

He said the Veterinary Services Division has made presentations on the various bio-security measures that pig farmers must implement to prevent the Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus (PEDv) from spreading to Jamaica.

Chief Executive Officer of Jamaica Broilers Group, Chris Levy, has also warned farmers not to take the threat of the virus lightly, as it has also spread rapidly across Canada resulting in a pork shortage.

Mexico and the Dominican Republic are also reporting cases of the virus.