DES MOINES, Iowa – The National Pork Producers Council has canceled the 2001 World Pork Expo to prevent potential risks of foot-and-mouth disease.
“We don’t want to take any risk of a possible outbreak potentially spread through the hosting of World Pork Expo, an event attended by pork producers and pork industry leaders from around the world,” said Barb Determan, council president.
World Pork Expo was expected to attract approximately 40,000 pork producers and consumers. In addition to the U.S. pork producers, about 2,000 international visitors from 60 countries annually attend the event.
In a related announcement, organizers of the World Dairy Expo said there is no reason not to proceed with the fall dairy exposition. The dairy expo is scheduled Oct. 3-7 in Madison, Wis. It is expected to draw more than 70,000 visitors.
The expo is working with the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, USDA and other federal agencies to ensure biosecurity precautions are taken to prevent the disease from spreading.
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