“A third of exports have been blocked”
The African swine fever (ASF) has reappeared in Spain after more than 30 years, after the detection yesterday of two cases in wild boars in Bellaterra (Barcelona) to which another 4 new cases can be added this Saturday in the same area, in the Collserola mountain, if confirmed by the Reference Laboratory in Algete (Madrid). The Minister of Agriculture, Luis Planasconfirmed this Saturday in a press conference the establishment of a 20-kilometer surveillance zone around the only confirmed outbreak and both the immobilization of the animals in 39 farms and the veto on their export. In addition, he has confirmed that on Monday he will meet with the production sector and that a third of the more than 400 pork export certificates have been paralyzed. to 44 countries out of the hundreds to which Spain sells. Which affects countries like Mexico, Japan, Taiwan or Malaysia.
“We fight country by country and certificate by certificate. Also with those countries with which we do not have a regionalization agreement,” Planas assured in reference to the economic impact that the reappearance of African swine fever in Spain is already having, after its eradication in November 1994.
