The latest cases of PSA
Five hundred farmers and ranchers gathered in Lucca to demand a change of pace regarding the swine fever emergency, spread by wild boars that are roaming uncontrollably in our forests and have now colonized urban environments. Armed with signs, whistles, and flags, Coldiretti farmers and pig breeders from across Tuscany gathered in Lucca's Piazza del Giglio, in front of the Prefecture, to express their concern and disappointment over the limited results of containment measures that were supposed to tackle the deadly virus head-on, preventing its spread from the upper Lunigiana, where it was detected a year and a half ago, to the rest of the region. Leading the protest was Coldiretti Tuscany's regional president, Letizia Cesani, alongside the presidents of Lucca and Massa Carrara, Andrea Elmi and Francesca Ferrari. Alongside the farmers, many mayors from the municipalities of Lucca, Piazza al Serchio, San Romano in Garfagnana, Villa Collemandina, Castelnuovo Garfagnana, Careggine, Capannori, Massarosa, Camaiore, Massa, Montignoso, Fivizzano, Licciana Nardi, Filattiera, Casola in Lunigiana, Tresana, and Fosdinovo; regional councilors Mario Puppa, Marco Guidi, Vittorio Fantozzi, and Vittorio Salotti; the president of the province of Lucca, Marcello Pierucci; the president of the Union of Municipalities of Garfagnana, Raffaella Mariani; and the president of the Union of Municipalities of Lunigiana, Annalisa Folloni. The defenses deployed are too weak, too few culls have been carried out compared to the exorbitant number of wild boars roaming the woods, spreading the virus, and there have been too many delays in installing capture cages and carrying out surveillance activities, despite the specific ordinances issued by the Extraordinary Commissioner for Tuscany, Coldiretti Toscana reports.
The contagion is advancing dangerously
The numbers reveal the extent of the failure. Forty-three municipalities have already been subjected to the restrictions required by the national safety protocol, and 88 wild boars have died as infected, four of which in the Piazza al Serchio area in recent weeks. Three provinces are affected: Massa Carrara, Lucca, and Pistoia. This picture paints a dangerous and rapid progression of the infection. "Swine fever must be stopped before it's too late," explains Letizia Cesani, President of Coldiretti Toscana. "Wild boars are a disaster within a disaster: in addition to devastating our crops and posing a threat to road and public safety, they are carriers of this virus. The fact that the virus is not transmissible to humans, and only kills pigs, does not mean it should be neglected. Quite the opposite. At the root of it all is an underestimation of the dangers and impact of the epidemic, which exposes 4,000 pig farms and 130,000 pigs throughout our region to dire consequences, along with excellent supply chains such as Cinta Senese and Prosciutto Toscano, worth €50 million. But also at risk are thousands of agritourism businesses that thrive on excursions and outdoor activities, which the restrictions limit and discourage, harming rural communities. We call for a determined and decisive change in the implementation of depopulation measures. wild boars envisaged in the commissioner's plan, along with an assumption of responsibility by all institutional bodies: the Tuscany Region, the provinces, and territorial hunting areas. Looking the other way means turning your back on Tuscany."
The risk of financial losses
The record-breaking spread of the virus, capable of traveling over 100 kilometers in just a few months, is alarming the entire pork processing and trade supply chain. The consequences for agricultural businesses in the restricted zone, whose survival depends on the pig industry, include the risk of economic losses if the virus contracts on farms due to the resulting requests to cull all animals, additional costs for the enhanced biosecurity measures required in stables, restrictions on the free movement of animals, and the requirement to promptly report data and information related to animal mortality to the authorities. "This is why we're gathering here this morning, including breeders and farmers from across the region, not just those already affected," explained the president of Coldiretti Toscana. "The epidemic must be stopped now before it's too late, before it affects the rest of the region. We must do everything necessary to implement the planned measures to depopulate wild boars, the virus's vectors. Our agricultural production and the entire Tuscan pig industry are at risk."
The territories to be preserved
These concerns and concerns were brought to the attention of the Prefect of Lucca, Giuseppa Scaduto, at the end of the demonstration, during a meeting where requests for the implementation of the necessary measures to halt the spread of African Swine Fever were outlined. The protest in Lucca may not be the last. Regional President Letizia Cesani clearly announced this to the audience in Piazza del Giglio at the end of her meeting with the Prefect of Lucca, also outlining a timeline. The protest in Lucca was attended by delegations of members from across Tuscany, accompanied by Coldiretti provincial presidents, demonstrating the heightened perception of danger even in those areas where the infection has not yet arrived. "We will return to the streets if within a couple of weeks we don't see the change of pace we've requested with the active and clear commitment of all Tuscan institutions. On the 12th, we will participate in the meeting with Special Commissioner Filippini in Garfagnana. Swine fever is a priority: it will be the first item on the agenda of the new councilors for agriculture and health of the Tuscany Region," said President Cesani. "The Prefect, whom we thank for his attention, has made himself available to convene a meeting as soon as he has gathered data on the current state of management. The time for accountability will come; today is the time for answers. And this time will last a couple of weeks." (Source: Coldiretti Toscana)
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