Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries have been alerted to the presence of African swine fever (ASF) in the Americas and the potential threat that it can pose to regional food security and to the livelihoods of farmers involved in the pig-rearing industry region-wide.
A Caribbean Week of Agriculture virtual forum has warned of what is believed to be a recent outbreak of the disease in the Dominican Republic and Haiti and has urged that coordinated efforts be undertaken to overcome the disease in the shortest possible time. Insofar as it persists, the disease could compromise one of the most widely consumed food sources across the region.