News Pigs
ABS sounds the alarm: 'Sector is in deep crisis'
These are exciting and uncertain times for pig farmers. The General Farmers Syndicate (ABS) is sounding the alarm and urgently asks for measures to support the pig sector in Flanders.
The uncertainty surrounding the African swine fever (ASF) in Germany and the global corona crisis are disrupting the pig supply chain. Sales opportunities have stagnated and hundreds of thousands of fattening pigs and piglets hang above the market.
Bart Vergote, spokesperson at ABS, describes the situation as dire and very urgent. He sees several events simultaneously weighing on the market. "The Flemish pig sector is suffering heavily from the worldwide rising raw material prices, the corona crisis, lower market prices and uncertain sales."
Waive social contributions
ABS calls on governments to waive social security contributions for the current and subsequent quarters while retaining rights. This includes certification costs, sanitary contributions and FASFC levies. The organization also calls for support for the pig market at European level without delay in order to reduce the consequences of the market disruption caused by ASF and the corona crisis.
"We call for the entire pig chain to be helped by temporary intervention on the market. Only through targeted interventions can some cash be generated, giving pig farmers some breathing space to continue their daily activities," says Vergote.
Chanti Oussoren
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