Sienese and beyond
Maximum attention is being paid to African Swine Fever on farms throughout Tuscany, including in the Siena area. This is also because, following the cases in the provinces of Massa Carrara and Pistoia, the consequences could be devastating for pig farms in the province of Siena, including Cinta Senese. This is highlighted by the CIA Agricoltori Italiani (Italian Farmers' Association) of Siena. In recent days, a pig farm in the province of Siena was subjected to preventative tracing checks because it had used a transporter who had come into contact with a farm (in San Marcello Piteglio, Pistoia) that tested positive for ASF. The Prevention Department of the USL Toscana Sud Est (South East Tuscany Local Health Authority) has ordered formal health seizures and temporary sales bans on the farm's products.
Animal health
"This was a standard preventative procedure," emphasizes Federico Taddei, president of Cia Siena, "and fortunately, no abnormalities regarding the animals' health were discovered. Thus, the company—which had had contact with a transporter from an area with a farm contaminated by ASF—was able to return to normal operations and sell its pork and eggs again. However, it still had to endure a five-day shutdown of operations and sales: this shows us that the risks, if ASF were to move and spread in Tuscany, are far, far too high for the entire supply chain." In short, the impact of the safety measures to contain African Swine Fever (ASF) is beginning to be felt even on the local supply chain. The restrictions are effectively operational shutdowns. This extremely stringent measure, as Cia Siena points out, also directly affects our province. For the farms and agricultural businesses identified by the tracking network, a temporary ban on placing any type of product on the market is in place.
Operational lockdown
This decision forces the affected facilities into a full-blown "operational lockdown" lasting several days, based on three strict guidelines: A total sales ban: an immediate and complete halt to the sale of any livestock-related products from the company. And reinforced entrances with a complete ban on visitors entering the facility. "These strict provisions, which are necessary and desirable for the protection of the entire supply chain," adds Taddei, "inevitably result in a significant economic increase for the affected farms, strangled between the sudden increase in operating costs and the drastic interruption of revenues." Health authorities emphasize that the priority remains to contain and eradicate outbreaks in Tuscany, before the virus can spread to wild animals (particularly wild boars, the main vectors of ASF) or to other livestock farms in the region. A painful but essential step to safeguard a strategic and essential sector for the entire Tuscan agricultural economy, concludes Cia Siena (source: CIA Toscana).
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