African Swine Fever (ASF) is currently ravaging the swine industries in China and other Asian countries and so far, over 5 million pigs have died or have been culled to stop the spread of the disease. The U.S. has never had an outbreak of ASF. Pig farmers and allied agricultural industries, and local, state and Federal Veterinarians must be vigilant to keep the disease from entering and spreading among U.S. pig farms which would have devastating effects on the domestic economy and food security. This paper provides an update on the ASF situation world wide and provides important facts about the disease that pig farmers and others need to know.

The National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) conducts a Census of Agriculture every five years. The census is a complete count of farms and ranches in every county of every state in the U.S. Other information gathered during a census includes, but is not limited to, land use and ownership, operator characteristics, production practices, income and expenditures, and market value of agricultural products. By comparing data to earlier censuses, trends, and new developments in the agricultural sector of the Virginia and U.S. economies can be measured.