Almost a million heads
In the face of a so far unsuccessful management of the wild boar plague, a change of pace is urgently needed to protect the profitability and activity of pig farms in Cuneo and Piedmont. This is what was requested by the Coldiretti regional pig council which, via videoconference, met with the Undersecretary for Agriculture, Patrizio Giacomo La Pietra, the Extraordinary Commissioner for African Swine Fever (ASF), Vincenzo Caputo, and the Regional Councilor for Health, Luigi Icardi. The situation - notes Coldiretti Cuneo - remains worrying with cases of wild boar plague continuing to increase, putting the entire sector and the pig production chain at risk, which in the Province of Cuneo includes 800 companies and almost 900.000 animals destined mainly for the protected circuits of the main Italian DOP for the preparation of the best national delicatessen, such as Parma Ham and San Daniele.
Wildlife
“As our regional pig council has underlined, in light of this scenario it is essential that the current legislation be modified in order to manage procedures concerning wildlife separately from those concerning pig farms. If the farm has respected all the biosecurity rules, it is necessary to allow its full activity to protect the company's income" claims the President of Coldiretti Cuneo, Enrico Nada.
Depopulation of wild boars
“We continue to note – adds the Director of Coldiretti Cuneo, Fabiano Porcu – that the measures adopted so far have been unsatisfactory. It is necessary to increase the depopulation of wild boars, especially in the areas where the latest cases of ASF have been detected." During the meeting, Councilor Icardi highlighted all the actions implemented by the regional health system, both for the containment of fauna and for following businesses through local veterinary services in adapting to biosafety standards. The Coldiretti Piedmont Pig Council has highlighted the urgency of further and concrete actions to guarantee the business continuity of the pig sector (source: Coldiretti).