ASF, the nightmare of the pork sector
There are ten years since African Swine Fever is present at the borders of the EU and China, more precisely in Russia. However, there are certain reasons that point out different evolutions of the disease in each region affected by the outbreaks.
Russia has the advantage of land distances between farms and that helped to stop the spreading of the virus at a fast pace. “Russia has tried to stop it and has made an excellent effort but so far has not been successful. Without a doubt in Russia and now Europe, humans and back yard production have been a major reason for the spread of ASF. Russia has land and strict biosecurity systems and protocols”, Jim Long, President and CEO of Genesus, compares the situation.
However, it was Russia that stood at the origin of the spreading of the virus and the current development in Europe, where countries such as Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, Ukraine, Belarus, Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Belgium are already experiencing losses due to multiple outbreaks, biosecurity measures and banned exports.
Different approaches
Even if quarantine, restricted transportation and culling the animals infested are the main measures adopted by authorities in the countries affected by ASF outbreaks, differences are also visible.
Russia has appealed to systematic hunt of wild boars for several years to reduce the risk of spreading the disease through the whole country. A similar measure is in discussion in Poland but that came out after 4 years of fight against ASF outbreaks that already count more than 200 cases. In the whole EU block, new measures have been imposed this summer for the member
states affected by the disease regarding pig farming, especially for outdoor farms systems, and for wild boar population. The
EU legislation regarding the affected areas is fully in line with the OIE international standards. Nevertheless, in order to ensure
a higher level of animal health protection, the EU goes beyond the OIE requirements and applies stricter standards. In the
current application of regionalisation in Lithuania, Poland and Latvia, for example, no pigs, their semen, embryos or ova are
allowed to be moved from the infected area.
At the same time, all Member States are asked to respect a new set of guidelines in the matter of biosecurity until 2021, when it will be revised, which indicates that the disease is expected to stay for quite a long period in this part of the world.
The Chinese blockade
20 outbreaks have been reported in less than 45 days in China and, besides culling thousands of pigs, the authorities have decided to institute restrictions on animal transportation not only in the seven provinces where the cases have been reported
but also in other 11 provinces adjacent to those.
These growing and more frequent reports are affecting producer’s actions and also market conditions. We are being told that many farms are locking down and not allowing their people out nor outside people in. Bio-security has long been a challenge in China and now owners and managers are taking unprecedented steps to protect their facilities from contracting this devastating disease.
Who knows how long farm workers will be content under these lockdown conditions, but many farms are now providing housing, cafeteria, laundry and even barbershop services for their workers. Many farms are becoming almost like small communities
with all the comforts of home and even recreational facilities. So they may be able to withstand these conditions for some time.
However, local markets are reported to be very volatile as no pigs can ship to a native province from any of the provinces infected
with ASF. Nor can pigs be transported from the province of the neighbour of the infected province. That had caused a big variance on hog price from the province to province», reported Lyle Jones, Genesus Director of Sales in China, at the end of September.
During the next few months, China could be confronted with a supply gap of 2 million to 3 million tonnes of pork, according to
a Rabobank analysis and based on the known facts reported by Chinese authorities. The worst-case scenario China hosts more than 400 million pigs and that represents 55% of the global herd. Of those animals, the backyard pigs are a major part of China’s production - maybe 6-10 million sows, a fact that raises concern over the capability of containing the disease in the areas where it was reported.
One of the worst-case scenarios comes from a North-American group of analysts and it could be the „wake up call” for the global industry.
Allan Bentley, a Genesus Sales representative for North America, is skeptical regarding the number of outbreaks reported by Chinese authorities by now and, considering the high density of pig farms in the country, that could really be bad news.
“After the first case was reported, I surmised there would be more cases reported very quickly. I believe China has reported 18 cases, so if they are
admitting to that I would guess it is closer to 180 cases. These cases are spread over a 2,000 km area and millions of swine in between each unit that reported an outbreak. The dense population of swine in China leads me
to the conclusion they will never get rid of this disease,” explains
Bentley.
At the same time, an uncontained spreading of the virus in South Asia could have effects on the global pig market and even reconsider the position of Beijing regarding the trade dispute with the US. “We all know the numbers involved with China’s hog production and their appetite for pork. If they want to feed their people, I would think they would want to get the trade
dispute with President Trump resolved quickly,” added Allan Bentley.
His opinion is also shared by Dr RC Ebert, Pleasant Hill Animal Clinic. “Can China and the other SE Asia countries control ASF? Their biosecurity is questionable. What effects will a decline in their production have on our markets? These and other questions remain to a be seen,” said the veterinarian.
Spaniards are terrified
The Belgium cases of ASF discovered in wild boar population has put Spain in the state of alert even if there are almost 1,000
km between the two countries. Recently, UPA, the Spanish Union of Small Farmers, has urged the government to adopt five stricter measures in its strategy against ASF entering the country.
As rumours about new cases reported in Italy have appeared, the agrarian organization has asked the Ministry of Agriculture to take five measures against swine fever, starting by banning the entry of wild boars in Spain. “It is unheard of animals being imported when, precisely, the last outbreaks of this disease have been detected in these animals that, paradoxically, are growing
in numbers uncontrollably until they become a pest in many rural areas of Spain,” complains UPA through the voice of its livestock
secretary, Roman Santalla.
Other four measures are seen as necessary to be adopted urgent, as mentioned in the letter sent to the Secretary-General of the
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Fernando Miranda. One of those, the control of piglets imports, has already been
applied in Catalonia and UPA believes that it should be extended through all the provinces of Spain. The organization has
also requested that all biosafety measures be extended to vehicles involved in the transport of animals, “as it is known that it is
one of the most frequent routes for the spread of diseases in livestock,” they have assured from UPA.
Fourth, the farmers have proposed that the Ministry create a Coordination Table with the Autonomous Communities and the entire sector. “The goal has to be to point out and share all the news and actions related to African swine fever,” said Santalla.
Finally, UPA proposes that the breeders should maximize each and every one of the measures of biosecurity in the farms, in order to avoid a possible external contagion.
Recently, the disease has begun to expand alarmingly acrossEurope, with the latest cases (unconfirmed yet) appearing in Italy. Spain has been confronted with ASF outbreaks almost 30 years ago and the losses for the sector were significant.
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