Source: MEATINGPLACE, 4/30/14
 
Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDv) could push up U.S. hog prices by 15 percent to 25 percent and consumer prices for pork by 10 percent to 12 percent, the president of the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) said on Wednesday.

Hog slaughter this summer could fall by more than 10 percent from last year’s levels, and U.S. pork production could fall 6 percent to 8 percent in the third quarter, due to the virus, NPPC President Howard Hill said in remarks prepared for testimony before a House agriculture subcommittee.

7 million killed
Hill said an accurate estimate for the number of pigs killed thus far by the virus is 7 million head and comes from economist Steve Meyer. It is based on anecdotal but dependable estimates that roughly 2.6 million sows have been infected and that each has lost, on average, 2.7 piglets, Hill said in his remarks.  
Ironically, pork producers could benefit economically from the situation because of continued solid consumer demand, Hill said.

“When combined with lower costs of production, the pork industry could enjoy perhaps its best year ever financially, and producers — even those who lose pigs to PEDv —likely would see their best individual years ever, as well,” Hill said.

The exception would be producers who farrow less frequently than once every two months and lose one or more farrowing groups of pigs to PEDv. Those operations may see output fall by a greater percentage than prices increase, thus reducing total revenue, he said.

Hill said USDA needs to conduct a thorough investigation of the pathway used by the virus to gain entry into the U.S. swine herd.

The U.S. pork industry has committed nearly $2 million to research PEDv and needs the Agricultural Research Service to bring significant resources to bear on the disease, to focus on the basics of viral propagation, pathogenesis and control, he said.

“Development of a vaccine is only one of several important needs for getting PEDv under control,” Hill said.
The National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN) needs to electronically communicate and generate the data needed to respond to PEDv and delta coronavirus. The information needs to be available for real-time analysis, he said.

USDA’s ability to implement a coordinated surveillance program also should be enhanced, Hill said.

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