German pig farm affected by African Swine Fever

At a pig farm in Vorpommern-Greifswald (in the northern border area with Poland), African swine fever (ASF) has been found. This was announced by the German Ministry of Agriculture today (6 June). This is the first ASF infection on a German pig farm since the end of 2021.

According to the ministry, there are currently no signs of infections in wild boars in the area. This is considered good news by the ministry, as it limits the chances of spread. Epidemiologists are investigating how the infection could have occurred.

ASF remains a looming threat in the European pig market. In 2023, the number of infections increased significantly, although the damage was limited to Croatia and Romania. The virus is also circulating among wild boars in Germany, and particularly in neighboring Poland, the issues with the virus are significant.

However, it has been a while since a German pig farm was affected. On 15 November 2021, a pig farm in Rostock was affected. However, it was a very small hobby farm with eleven pigs. In contrast, the farm in Vorpommern-Greifswald is a large operation with 3,500 pigs.

Matthijs Bremer

Matthijs Bremer is a market specialist in pork, beef, and poultry meat at DCA Market Intelligence. He also monitors the protein transition, keeping an eye on developments in cultured meat and meat substitutes.

m.bremer@farmerbusiness.com