Pig farming in crisis: swine fever puts farmers under pressure

Pig farming in crisis
Swine fever puts farmers under pressure

Gloom in agriculture: in addition to the drought in the spring, especially the African swine fever made the farmers in this year. Minister for agriculture, Klöckner wants to vote on the issue with their counterparts in Poland and the Czech Republic.

The spread of African swine fever, lack of slaughter and meat prices bring a lot of pig farmers in Germany are increasingly in distress.

“The pig is currently in the biggest crisis in decades,” said Bauer, President Joachim Rukwied on Friday at a meeting of the members of the German farmers ‘ Association in Erfurt. The 59-Year-old was elected at the Meeting, with 467 delegates, as President of the Association again. Rukwied received 81.6% of the votes cast. Abstentions in accordance with the statutes of the farmers ‘ Association as votes not cast be counted.

Rukwied called, among other things, failures in slaughterings due to the Corona pandemic and the spread of African swine fever as reasons for the plight of pig farmers in Germany. The prices for pig meat are in free fall. “This is dramatic, this is shameful,” said Rukwied.

Federal agriculture Minister Julia Klöckner (CDU) announced in a speech that she wanted to meet in a timely manner with their counterparts from Poland and the Czech Republic in the fight against African swine fever (ASF) to vote.

To do this, you have already on the phone with the new Polish agriculture Minister and discussed to optimize, “we like the wild boar barriers even more on both sides,” said Klöckner, which was switched off during the Day via Video to Erfurt in. “My goal is that we as quickly as possible ASP-free in Germany,” said Klockner be. She pointed out that there should be in a country for at least twelve months, no positive result, so that it is applicable as ASP-free.

African swine fever has been detected in Germany so far only in the state of Brandenburg. Against the disease, there is currently no vaccine. The animals usually die within a few days. For the people, the disease is harmless.

Rukwied brought in his policy speech before the delegates also safety measures for the free – range keeping of pigs into the game. You need to discuss, “if not at least temporarily – similar to the issue when the poultry outbreaks occurred free country postures in the building,” he said Rukwied. There were farms, where the security measures what would be the equivalent, is necessary. “The Gau at the end would be, if we had stock in a domestic pig of the ASP. I don’t like to think of it.”

In the German farmer’s Association, more than 90 percent of the almost 300,000 agricultural holdings in Germany according to its own information voluntarily a member.

dpa

#Topics