By the end of the year it's believed African swine fever will have killed close to a quarter of the world's pigs.
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More than 100 producers gathered at a NSW Farmers event in Young on Tuesday to learn what would happen if swine fever reached our shores and what they could do to help keep it out.
NSW chief veterinary officer, Dr Sarah Britton, told producers the Department of Primary Industries' response if the disease was detected would be to eradicate it.
"It's called stamping out, getting rid of it as quickly as possible," Dr Britton said.
"If it appears on one pig, a quarantine would be placed on that property, preventing movements, all that property's pigs would be destroyed and disposed of and tracing would determine where was the source, how far has it gone and what do we need to do to prevent the spread."
She asked producers to plan how they would destroy and dispose of their pigs if the disease was detected on their property.
Producers were also encouraged to increase on-farm bio-security measures, keep thorough records of people, products, animals and vehicles coming and going, educate their staff and fence their properties.
NSW Farmers pork committee chairman and Young pig producer Ean Pollard said NSW Farmers were also continuing to lobby government for improved border security. "We've asked for more signage and notification at leaving terminals that travel to Australia, education about not bringing pork products to Australia," Mr Pollard said.
"I think it's possible to keep it out, the harder we try and the better we get with national security the more chance we have.
"Today is about preparedness, I'm not saying when, I'm saying if we get it the more prepared the better."
Fellow Young-based pig producer Edwina Beveridge agreed more thorough border security was needed.
"We would love to know that every person at the borders is being checked, that there are signs up telling people not to bring pork in," Ms Beveridge said.
Further policy on biosecurity measures are expected in coming weeks.
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