A Saskatoon-based organization has been given federal approval to develop a vaccine for deadly African Swine Fever.

The disease has wiped out over half the pigs in China or almost one third of all hogs in the world.

The director of Vido-InterVac, Dr. Volker Gerdts, says developing a vaccine will take several years.

He says there is a lengthy process to develop and test the vaccine.

Gerdts says developing the African Swine Fever vaccine will cost a few million dollars.

The Vido lab at the U of S and has been at the forefront of developing new livestock vaccines in recent years.