The first case in Lombardy
La African swine fever (ASF) arrived in Lombardy. If action is not taken immediately, it will be a national catastrophe. With the ascertained discovery, in these hours, of an infected wild boar carcass in Bagnaria (Pavia), an area among others of the Varzi Dop salami, the region with the highest production of pork meat derivatives in Italy is dramatically at risk among the main ones in the world. CIA-Agricoltori Italiani raises the alarm and asks the Extraordinary Commissioner for PSA, Vincenzo Caputi, to take immediate remedial action. “The situation is very serious - reports the president of Cia Lombardia, Paolo Maccazzola-. We need to stem this scourge, before the circulation of pork-derived products is blocked. We cannot leave all the responsibility for containment in the hands of hunters and forest rangers, we need targeted and above all rapid culling. The Region -adds Maccazzola- had already moved to contain the phenomenon, but now the checks and killings in the affected area must be intensified".
The words of Gabriele Carenini
“At this point, with the already well-known critical element on the PSA front in late summer, we ask that the army be activated -intervenes the CIA national wildlife officer, Gabriele Carenini-. We need to drastically reduce the number of wild boars in circulation and do it with qualified personnel. We renew our willingness to collaborate, but we need to act now". Pig farming is a key pillar of Italian animal husbandry which is strong in many regional productions of the highest quality. “The wild boar emergency and the ASF phenomenon have been underestimated for too long - comments the national president of CIA, Cristiano Fini - leaving, in fact, a fundamental production of our agri-food Made in Italy to be compromised. We are now at 7 regions affected by the epidemic. It's time to say enough - concludes Fini - to safeguard the sector, as well as all the efforts made up to now, also to protect the export of national pig production.
Requests to the Government
The PSA advances, we must do it too. We ask the Government to support the commissioner structure with all the necessary tools and to finally listen to us, reforming the law 157/92”. PIG FARMING IN NORTHERN ITALY – Today, almost 90% of national pig farms are concentrated in Lombardy (50% of the total number of animals), Piedmont (14%) and Emilia-Romagna (13%). The agricultural phase (32 pig farms) generates a value of over 3 billion euros with an incidence equal to 5,7% of the total value of national agricultural production, almost 20% of that achieved by the entire animal husbandry. The cured meats industry achieves a turnover of over 8 billion euros with an incidence of 5,6% on that of the national food sector. The farms are characterized by a strong territorial concentration of animals, in particular in the Po Valley area and in just one region, Lombardy, there is more than half of the national pig herd and over 38% of the national pig farming value is achieved . It has 2.739 pig farms and 4.156.583 animals raised. AT NATIONAL LEVEL – 11 billion in turnover and 70 employees in the pork supply chain, the spearhead of Made in Italy, depend on the national pig sector. It has 21 PDOs and 12 PGIs which make Italian delicatessen unique in the world, with a total annual value of 1,6 billion in exports (source: CIA).