Battle against the African Swine Fever could extend for multiple years - Prolonged Struggle to Eradicate Swine Fever Imminent
Let me tell ya, it's been a wild ride in Hesse, mate! Last June, we hit a snag: the first case of African Swine Fever was confirmed. You can imagine the chaos that ensued. Farmers and authorities, they went into full-blown crisis mode. The result? A whole heap of pig herds had to be brutally culled. The fences went up, the virus spread, and we're still feelin' the aftershocks. "Years, not months," says Marie-Claire von Spee, spokesperson for the Hessian Farmers' Association.
Yep, you heard that right. We're lookin' at a multi-year struggle here. Containment zones were set up with tight restrictions for farmers, hunters, and even local residents. Real soon, the virus popped up in backyard pig herds in Groß-Gerau. Thousands more pigs had to be offed. How the virus made it to Hesse, that's still a mystery.
Now, let's talk cash. By the end of May 2025, approximately 28 million euros had been spent on thought-starters like fences, according to the Hessian Ministry of Agriculture. personnel costs and costs incurred by affected districts aren't included in that number.
Things are easin' up in some areas, but farmers are still feelin' the squeeze financially. "In particular, pig farmers affected by containment zone 3 took a pretty hard hit, and many have since sold out of pig farming," says von Spee.
Sadly, the restrictions have been lifted in certain areas, but farmers are still feelin' the heat. Many have given up pig farming due to the strain. In the now-lifted containment zone, the strictest regulations applied: no money at slaughterhouses for those without insurance, and businesses who hadn't insurance had to take the hit without a penny of income. In the surrounding containment zone, marketing's mostly back to normal, but it's come at a cost.
"More than 2,000 wild boars have been wiped out by the aggressive virus," says Markus Stifter, spokesperson for the State Hunting Association. They tested positive. In total, more than 5,000 carcasses or remains have been found, from backbones to bones. Dogs are still used today to sniff out deceased or infected animals.
We're only clear of the virus if no infected pig is found for a year. This puts a real burden on the hunters, says Stifter. There was an initial hunting ban in some regions. Now, many pigs have multiplied, and they gotta be culled. The problem? "Nuthin' can be taken out today, it's for self-consumption only." The alternative is disposal.
"We're no longer regular hunters, but disease controllers," says Stifter. A large part of the pigs from zone 2 are still left unused. But it's necessary. We can only get rid of the disease if the wild boar are gone. In some regions, entire populations must be killed.
"The sow is pretty cunning," says Stifter. They'd sense the hunting pressure and avoid that area. Since the resumption of hunting, dominant numbers of wild boars have been culled in the two exclusion zones—over 2,400, to be exact.
There were surprises in store for the hunters too. "We didn't expect the spread to be this widespread," says Stifter. The first positively tested animal was discovered south of Rüsselsheim on a highway. Now, large areas of southern Hesse and beyond the state borders in Rhineland-Palatinate and Baden-Württemberg are affected.
The hunters are most concerned about further spread, says Stifter. Afraid of new entries into domestic pig populations in the summer months, which has happened in other regions for reasons unknown. "It could continue to spread." In other regions, this epidemic has been going on for five years now. There's also still the risk of a "secondary entry," such as via truck drivers, possibly from foreign countries.
"They're all running on empty," he says about the involved authorities. "If something happens elsewhere, that would be the worst-case scenario." Eventually, capacities—like testers and veterinary offices—will be maxed out.
Stakeholders and Measures
| Stakeholder | Main Impact | Control Measures ||---------------------|---------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------|| Pig Farmers | Economic losses, trade restrictions | Biosecurity, movement controls, culling || Hunters | Increased surveillance, biosecurity burden | Culling, carcass disposal, reporting protocols || Regional Authorities| Surveillance costs, trade bans | Zoning, public awareness, wild boar management |
Impact of African Swine Fever
- Pig Farming Industry: Outbreaks can lead to massive culling of infected and exposed pigs, causing financial losses. Export bans on pork products by non-EU countries severely impact market prices and profitability.
- Hunters: Hunters play a crucial role in monitoring and culling wild boar populations, which are main reservoirs for the virus. Increased hunting pressure is often instituted in affected regions to reduce disease spread.
- Costs: Direct costs include veterinary services, culling, and disposal of infected animals. Indirect costs include increased insurance premiums, reduced livestock prices, and higher biosecurity expenses.
The Commission has also been asked to submit a proposal for a Council Regulation on the application of the provisions of the Treaty on European Union to the common agricultural policy, focusing on the support for farmers who have been significantly impacted by African Swine Fever, such as those in Hesse.
Meanwhile, research in the field of science and medical-conditions equally plays a crucial role in solving this ongoing crisis. Developing effective vaccines and improving our understanding of the virus can help in combating the disease and enhancing health-and-wellness measures for both domestic and wild boar populations.
