Italy is grappling with an outbreak of African swine fever, with the disease spreading across several regions and impacting the pork industry severely. Over 60,000 pigs have been culled in an effort to curb the spread, leading to the closure of 45 farms and threatening nearly 26,000 businesses. The Italian Coldiretti Agricultural Association has called on the government to provide financial support to the pork industry to help mitigate the losses incurred due to the epidemic. The association's president, Ettore Prandini, emphasized the critical need for such support to ensure the industry's resilience and to maintain the quality of products like Parma ham, which may be adversely affected.