Spain reports outbreak of African swine fever

Spain has declared its first outbreak of African swine fever (ASF) in more than three decades. Two wild boars found dead near Barcelona were infected with the virus, the Ministry of Agriculture announced today (Friday, November 28).

Authorities notified the European Union and immediately implemented emergency measures in the affected area. Pig farmers in the region have been urged to strengthen their biosecurity protocols while investigators try to determine how the infection occurred.

Consequences for exports still unclear
Spain is Europe's largest pork exporter, selling 1,32 million tons of product to third countries last year. Although the impact of the outbreak on its export position is still unclear, there is a risk that a significant number of countries will impose export bans. A similar situation occurred in 2020 after the first ASF outbreak in wild boar in Germany.

At the time, Germany saw its export volume halve in just a few months, putting significant pressure on the European meat market. The ASF outbreak in Belgium had a similar effect, although the impact on the European market was somewhat less severe due to the smaller size of the Belgian sector. In Germany, exports to major countries such as China, Japan, Korea, and the Philippines suddenly ground to a halt.

A remarkable stroke of luck for Spain's exports to China could be that both countries coincidentally agreed this month to apply a regionalization principle in the event of an African swine fever outbreak. The coming days will reveal how this will work in practice and how significant the consequences will be for Spain's export position.

Double disinfection
Vee&Logistiek Nederland urges its members to observe all hygiene measures as much as possible. Double cleaning and disinfection (C&D) was already mandatory for livestock trucks arriving from Spain due to outbreaks of Lumpy skin disease in cattle in the country. Between 35.000 and 65.000 Dutch piglets are shipped to Spain each week. 

Wouter Job

Wouter Baan is Head of Meat & Dairy at BoerenbusinessAt DCA Market Intelligence, he focuses on dairy, pork, and meat markets. He also monitors (business) developments within agribusiness and interviews CEOs and policymakers.

w.baan@boerenbusiness. Nl

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