Spain reports first African swine fever cases since 1994 in wild boar
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Spain detected its first cases of African swine fever since 1994 after two dead wild boars tested positive for the virus.
PHOTO: PIXABAY
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MADRID – Spain has detected its first cases of African swine fever since 1994 after two wild boars found dead near Barcelona tested positive for the virus, the agriculture ministry said on Nov 28.
The outbreak could threaten exports to China, with recent efforts by Madrid to court Beijing and gain market share.
But any ban could be limited in scope after China and Spain signed a deal in November that would mean China would only restrict imports from an affected region rather than from all of Spain.
Spain is the European Union’s leading pork producer, accounting for roughly a quarter of the bloc’s output, ahead of Germany, according to the Agriculture Ministry.
“It’s not good news. The European market is already struggling after a 20 per cent drop in prices since July,” said Mr Jean-Paul Simier, a meat analyst at French commodities research group Cyclope.
“There is a risk of an embargo against the biggest EU pork exporter, notably in Asia, and China in particular.”
The ministry said it has notified the European Union and activated emergency measures in the affected area, urging pig farms to tighten security measures while investigators probe the source of the infection.
The virus, which is harmless to humans but deadly for pigs, has been spreading westwards in Europe in recent years.
The spread of the disease to Germany upended the country’s large pig industry, with many overseas countries imposing bans.
In recent months Croatia has been trying to contain an outbreak of the disease in pig farms. REUTERS
