ASF count in Germany is at 615 wild boars
Two of the four core zones established in Germany have been expanded to cover areas where new wild boar carcasses have been found. So far the official count is of 615 dead animals and the only good news is that there is no outbreak in domestic pigs. The eastern state of Brandenburg in Germany has reported 596 cases of African swine fever in wild boar population, while 19 other cases have been reported in Saxony. Both of the regions are close to the Polish border and migrating animals are the most probable cause for the virus spreading.
The first case of African swine fever in Germany was reported in mid-September last year. Since then, The country has lost access to several third-markets such as China, Japan, the Philippines and South Korea. Estimates released in autumn are talking about a volume of 300,000 tonnes to 900,000 tonnes of pork remaining within the EU market. According to the latest Rabobank outlook, an oversupply of pig meat is expected this year in the EU market as production in Germany has not been adapted to the new reality, facing pressures from both COVID-19 and ASF restrictions. "Pork production is expected to be flat or down slightly in 2021, on lower export demand, a slow recovery of local demand due to Covid-19, and ongoing ASF-threats in eastern Europe and Germany. China’s expected reduction in imports in 2021 will have ramifications for the rest of the world, especially in Europe, where trade bans on Germany are boosting local supply and weighing on the market,” said Chenjun Pan, Senior Analyst – Animal Protein.
However, the discovery of new ASF strains in China and increased demand for pork from Vietnam and the Philippines may ease the pressure in the EU pork market as other main producers in the bloc such as Spain, the Netherlands, Denmark, France, Italy and Belgium (now declared ASF-free) still have access to third-markets.
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