News African swine fever
Cost of AVP in Asia rises to $130 billion
Since the African swine fever (ASF) also spreads through Asia, the costs in the country have increased. According to experts from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the amount could reach $130 billion.
Since August 2018, the country has been struggling with ASF outbreaks. The virus has since spread mainly across Southeast Asia, but there are outbreaks in other parts of Asia as well. The virus, which is deadly to pigs, has greatly reduced the pig population.
According to Najibullah Habib, the health specialist at ADB's East Asia Regional Branch, and Thomas Weaver, an agricultural adviser to the ADB, the virus threatens food security and costs the economy billions of dollars.
High cost
According to experts, it is not possible to estimate the costs precisely. This is due to, among other things, the lack of accurate production data and the complexity of assessing indirect costs. Although it is difficult to estimate the financial blow, experts say that it is crucial to assess the impact and to draw up a policy.
The virus outbreak in Asia is estimated to cost the country between $55 billion and $130 billion, of which $77 billion counts as lost revenue. Of this, $28 billion to $46 billion was attributed to financial losses from deaths and culls. The cost of replacement breeding stock is estimated to be between $4 billion and $7 billion, and lost revenues can be as high as $77 billion.
Measures taken
Strict measures have been taken to limit the outbreak of the virus, such as the culling of animals and the imposition of movement bans. The experts say the outbreaks make it clear that it is vital that countries are better able to detect the virus and act effectively. “Campaigns have been developed to raise awareness about the virus and to encourage the reporting of suspected diseases and enhanced biosecurity measures.”
Chanti Oussoren
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