The initial impact of the African Swine Fever (ASF) outbreak, detected 45 days ago in Cerdanyola del Vallès (Vallès Occidental), has already resulted in a loss of 62 million euros for the Catalan pork sector in just one month due to the inability to export abroad.
This figure, calculated by Unió de Pagesos during its annual balance press conference, is expected to soar to 756 million euros if restrictions remain in place for the next 12 months. This forecast is based on the continued presence of the disease in the territory.
The regulation establishes that 12 months must pass since the last case to declare a territory free of swine fever.
The situation worsened yesterday, when the Generalitat (Catalan Government) notified the detection of 13 more affected wild boars. With these new positives, Catalonia totals 60 ASF cases over the past month and a half, representing a 9.4% positive rate out of 635 wild boars analyzed.
The inability to sell to key markets such as Japan, the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia, Mexico, South Africa, and Thailand caused the initial loss of 62 million euros in December, a situation expected to repeat monthly until regular exports can resume.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food, all 60 affected animals were found within a six-kilometer radius and are considered wild species, which partially reassures the industry by limiting the geographical expansion of the outbreak.
