German Agriculture Minister confirms AVP

Yesterday (September 9) it turned out that a wild boar was found in Germany that suspected of being infected with African swine fever (ASF). The suspicion has now been confirmed and it appears that it is indeed an AVP infection.

Julia Klöckner, the German minister of agriculture, has since confirmed that the disease has been diagnosed in the cadaver found yesterday in Brandenburg. The German Farmers' Association (DBV) is concerned about the risk of spreading to nearby pig farms.

According to Thomas Mettenleiter, chairman of the German Animal Health Service (FLI), it is now necessary to check whether the virus has already spread in Germany. According to him, the carcass found in Brandenburg had probably been there for quite some time.

Export to Asia
German pork sales abroad are in immediate danger now that the country has lost its ASF-free status. The district in question is immediately classified as a threatened area. All pigs on pig farms and the meat from these farms are not allowed to leave this area.

First of all, only transport from the affected area will be stopped, but pig farmers throughout Germany must take into account the drop in sales abroad. Exports to Asia in particular are at risk. In the period from January to April, Germany exported approximately 158.000 tons of pork to China. This is double the number compared to the same period last year.

The German ministry is currently working on agreements with countries outside Europe to reach an agreement on regional export restrictions. The German agriculture minister assumes that trade within Europe can largely be maintained.

Measures
Joachim Rukwied, chairman of the DBV, expects that appropriate measures will soon follow to contain the virus. "There should be a boar-free zone on the border with Poland. This also includes consistent hunting of wild boars and segregation with pig farms."

In a press conference, Klöckner presented a plan of action to drive the AVP out of Germany again. In this plan, among other things, only limited traffic is allowed to drive and barriers will be introduced. In addition, the search for other infected cadavers is also being stepped up.

Chanti Oussoren

Editor at Boerenbusiness who studies the dairy, pig (meat) and feed markets.

c.oussoren@boerenbusiness. Nl

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