Schweine Cockpit, 21.09.2018

African swine fever (ASP) has been spreading in the south of Belgium since the first two finds on September 13, increasing the fears of the surrounding countries. The affected area near Etalle in the province of Luxembourg has been searched and further infected wild boar carcasses have been detected in case-hunting near a trunk road. According to reports, an area of ​​approximately 63,000 ha has been declared a restricted area in the Limburg region. EU disease experts estimate about 400 to 500 infected wild boar in the region. Export Barriers Belgium's pig farms and pork exporters are facing initial export restrictions due to the outbreak of ASP on Belgian territory. Nine non-EU countries have imposed an import ban on Belgian pork with immediate effect.These include South Korea, China, Taiwan, Belarus , Mexico and the Philippines. Trade in piglets and pigs is also mixed up It can be seen that not only the swine market in the affected country but also the whole of Europe is damaged by the ASP outbreak in Belgium. For one thing, the Belgian pigmeat exporters will now have to place their goods completely on the European domestic market with hefty price concessions. With a self-sufficiency level of over 220%, the country already exported 920,000 tonnes of pork, meat and meat products to the EU in the past year. On the other hand, the already weak EU pig market continues to come under pressure as Belgium is one of the largest piglet importing countries in the Community. Also, the trade in pig by-products from Belgium to Germany has almost completely ceased.