USDA Proposes Increasing the List of Mexican States Considered CSF Free

February 14, 2007 — 

The USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is proposing to add the Mexican state of Nayarit to the list of regions considered free of Classical Swine Fever (CSF).

This proposal comes at the request of the Mexican Government and the state of Nayarit. APHIS conducted a risk evaluation that indicates the region is free of CSF. Although Nayarit is considered CSF free, the state is located adjacent to regions that are still considered infected.

In order to export to the United States, Nayarit would have to certify the products' origin, move and process pork products in CSF-free zones and require that all processing facilities be inspected by the government of Mexico.

Nayarit is not a major swine production area. In 2004, 34 commercial swine farms were in Nayarit, with a population of 30,634 animals. This rulemaking is unlikely to have a significant effect on U.S. pork and pork products markets as Mexico is mainly an importer of U.S. pork. In 2004, Mexico exported approximately 3.2 percent or 36,000 metric tons of their total pork production.

Consideration will be given to comments received on or before April 2. Send an original and three copies of postal mail or commercial delivery comments to Docket No. APHIS-2006-0104, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station 3A-03.8, 4700 River Road, Unit 118, Riverdale, Md. 20737-1238. If you wish to submit a comment using the Internet, go to the Federal eRulemaking portal at http://www.regulations.gov, select "Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service" from the agency drop-down menu; then click on "Submit." In the Docket ID column, select APHIS-2006-0104 to submit or view public comments and to view supporting and related materials available electronically.

Source:
USDA, APHIS Press Release, February 5, 2007