Spain seeks to limit 'as much as possible' economic impact of swine fever outbreak after dozens of countries suspend imports
Illustrative image, source: Solucionfotografica | Dreamstime.com
Spanish authorities were scrambling to limit the economic impact of an outbreak of African swine fever on Saturday, a day after reporting the first nationwide cases in three decades in the Catalonia region, AFP reports.
The virus does not affect humans, but it is highly contagious and fatal to pigs, and an outbreak could be devastating to the country's pork industry.
Spanish Agriculture Minister Luis Planas said on Saturday that the government wanted to limit “as much as possible” the economic impact on the agricultural sector.
Spain is the third world producer of pork and pork products
The official told a press conference that Spain, the world's third-largest producer of pork and pork derivatives, exports nearly 3 million tons each year to more than 100 countries.
Planas said a third of the affected countries have stopped imports from Spain – an automatic safety measure when African swine fever is detected.
Mexico, one of Spain's main markets, officially announced the suspension of imports on Friday, shortly after officials in Catalonia reported two wild boars testing positive, the country's first negative since November 1994.
“We must focus all our efforts on trying to eradicate, eliminate all possible cases and prevent the spread of the virus,” said the Spanish Minister of Agriculture.
Authorities in the Spanish autonomous community of Catalonia have set up two perimeters around the affected area and limited outdoor activities.
African swine fever is currently present in several European countries.
Photo source: Solucionfotografica | Dreamstime.com
