AVP threatens Italian pig sector and Parma ham

Published Dec 9, 2024

Tridge summary

An outbreak of African Swine Fever in Northern Italy, particularly in the Lombardy region, has led to the culling of nearly 120,000 pigs since January 2022, causing significant concern for pig farmers and the production of famous pork products like Parma ham, which contributes around twenty billion euros to Italy's economy each year. The outbreak has resulted in import bans from twelve countries, causing losses of approximately twenty million euros per month for Italian pork exporters. In response, the Italian government has appointed a special commissioner and implemented stricter biosecurity measures, while pig farmers in unaffected regions are taking additional precautions.

Disclaimer: The above summary was generated by Tridge's proprietary AI model for informational purposes.

Original content

The outbreak of African Swine Fever (ASF) in Northern Italy is causing great concern among pig farmers and is threatening the production of, among other things, the famous Parma ham. Together with other pork products, this ham earns Italy around twenty billion euros per year. Since the start of the outbreak in January 2022, almost 120,000 pigs have been culled in Italy. Three quarters of them were culled in August and September. The Lombardy region, which includes Parma, has been particularly hard hit, with 24 new outbreaks in September. The economic consequences are significant. Coldiretti, the largest agricultural organisation in Italy, estimates the damage at 500 million euros. This is partly due to import bans from twelve countries, including China and Mexico. Italian pork exporters are suffering losses of around twenty million euros per month as a result. To tackle the crisis, the Italian government has appointed experienced veterinarian Giovanni Filippini as special ...

Source: NLvarkens