Baltic states want more to fight African Swine Fever

The Commission said the money was for “preventative measures, which include cleansing and disinfection of vehicles, surveillance and laboratory testing, awareness campaigns and even the use of wild boar repellents and preventative early slaughter of pigs in risk backyard farms”.​

It may not be enough, according to the Lithuanian Pig Producers’ Association (Kiaules). “We proposed real ASF protection measures – a physical border, buffer zone, disinfection stations – which are not cheap, but got just €1.5m,”​ said director Algis Baravykas, claiming this covers 30-50% of what is needed. Lithuania had 807,500 pigs last year, according to European Pig Producers (EPP), the producer association.
Lithuania has imposed a pig trade ban with Belarus. Blood tests of wild boar and domestics pigs, strengthened farm biosecurity controls, and disinfection of cars and trucks coming from Belarus are in force.

EPP manager Sven Häuser said the question is when, rather than if, ASF will enter the European Union. “The risk is imminent,”​ he told Globalmeatnews.com​. “But we can prohibit an outbreak in the near future if we strictly consider biosecurity rules at farm level, as well as on the globalised commodity flow.”​

He added that an outbreak would be disastrous, especially for Poland where pig numbers have declined with the economy. Officially, Poland had 10.9m pigs and 1m sows in March 2013.

Concerns​

The Polish Pig Breeders and Producers Association (Polsus) is worried how close the disease is, according to Polsus manager Dr Katarzyna Skrzymowska. She said Poland’s Central Veterinary Inspectorate has leafleted farmers explaining ASF, how it spreads, how to recognise it, and what to do in a suspected outbreak.

Skrzymowska said special measures in three Polish districts close to Belarus include bans on: transporting carcases or skins of shot wild boar without lab test results confirming the animal is free of ASF; transporting pig corpses without informing a local official veterinary inspector; and on the home slaughter of pigs.

The Estonian Pig Breeding Association (EPBA) is not as concerned as its Polish and Lithuanian counterparts. “We do not import meat from Russia, current measures are adequate for animal feed transport, and the certification system should prevent ASF spreading to Estonia,”​ Raivo Laanemaa, head of the EPBA management board told Globalmeatnews. Estonia, which has around 343,500 pigs, has banned animal feed imports from Belarus locations affected by ASF.

However, Lithuania’s Baravykas warned against complacency. “Even one ASF case in the EU will affect all EU pigmeat exports, and losses will be much higher than our requested aid for protection measures,”​ he argued.