Spain is battlingโค a widening outbreak of African swine fever, with eight new suspected โฃcasesโ reported, escalating concerns overโ potential export restrictions and economic damage to its pork industry.โฃ The โคlatest cases, detected in โthe Sierra Morena region, bring the total number of suspected outbreaks to 63 since the beginningโฃ of the year, according to โthe Ministry of โขAgriculture, Fisheries โand Food.
The escalating crisis โthreatens โขSpain’s status as a major pork โฃexporter,โ potentially disrupting global โsupply โฃchains โฃand impactingโค prices. The outbreaks are concentrated in wild boarโค populations, but the risk of transmission to commercial farms remains โฃa significant worry for producers โขandโฃ international trade partners. Spain โคexportedโค overโฃ 4.1 millionโค tonnes of pork in 2022, worthโ approximately โโฌ7.7 billion, โmaking it the world’s fourth-largest exporter.The European Commission is closely monitoring the situation, and further outbreaks could trigger trade limitations from key markets like China and the United States. โค Authorities are implementing strict biosecurity measures, including โคincreased surveillance, movement restrictions, and culling ofโ infected โwildโค boar, in an attempt to contain the spread.