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Germany confirms first cases of ASF in domestic herd
Germany’s federal agriculture ministry has confirmed the first cases of African swine fever in a domestic swine herd.
The pigs were found on two farms in the eastern German state of Brandenburg. The National Pork Board says the farms include an organic farm with 200 pigs and a small farm with just two pigs. All pigs have been euthanized.
University of Missouri livestock economist Scott Brown says concerns about African swine fever aren’t going away anytime soon. “It’s the wild herd that creates a problem in this country first,” he says. “And whether we have stringent enough domestic production protocols in place to keep it from spreading. Maybe Germany gives us a little bit of a clue here.”
More than 1,200 cases have been found in the wild boar population in the Brandenburg area. Brandenburg borders Poland, where the disease is widespread.
China and other pork buyers banned imports of German pork in late 2020 after the first case was confirmed in wild animals. Import bans by China and other major Asian importers remain in place.
Fear rules the world markets.