Russian African Swine Fever Situation Offers Bleak Outlook

Major concerns have been raised over the potential for African Swine Fever that was first discovered in Georgia and has now spread to Russia to spread to other countries in Europe.

At the recent World Pork Conference, the head of the Russian Veterinary Service, Rosselkhoznador, Sergey Dankvert said that the disease, which is in the Northern Caucasus region, is in danger of spreading.

There are fears that the disease, which has seen outbreaks reported in the Rostov region, could spread to the Ukraine and beyond.

At the same conference, Dr Alejandro Thiermann from the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), warned that the spread of the disease could get out of control and he said he was concerned that it could spread to the wild boar herd in central Europe.

The concern is so great that the disease could spread to other European countries that in Denmark between 11 and 13 October, the Danish veterinary authorities held a simulation exercise, looking at what would happen if it appeared in the Baltic states.

Mr Dankvert gave no indication that the Russian authorities were likely to get a grip on the disease any time soon.

He said the main problem is that there is no vaccine to counter the disease. The preventative measures taken include the destruction of all pigs in a 20-kilometre radius of the outbreak.

US pork producers could enjoy improved profitability, according to Purdue Extension agricultural economist, Chris Hurt. He said that stronger hog prices and lower feed costs have put the pork outlook back into the black for the coming year.

In the EU last week, European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Dacian Ciolos, presented the major reform proposals for the future of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) from 2014.

The draft proposal aims to strengthen the competitiveness, sustainability and permanence of agriculture throughout the EU in order to secure for European citizens a healthy and high-quality source of food, preserve the environment and develop rural areas, said Mr Ciolos.

Welfare campaigning organisations, Eurogroup for Animals and Compassion in World Farming, have commented that they are horrified by the European Commission's failure to improve animal welfare in the proposals.

And finally turning to nutrition research, a feeding trial conducted at the University of Alberta's Swine Research and Technology Centre has shown lentils can be included at rates as high as 20 per cent in the diets of weaners without any negative impact on performance.