The Lombardy Region, in collaboration with farmers' and industrialists' associations in the sector, proposed the slaughterhouse plan during a meeting held on 30 June. The strategy is based on two fundamental requirements established by the European regulation: firstly, the pigs must come from farms subject to enhanced biosecurity measures, and secondly, the designated slaughterhouses must be able to guarantee the separation of meat consignments .
Once these criteria are met, the slaughtered meat can be marketed throughout the European Union market, as swine fever is not transmitted to humans. However, exporting to non-EU countries could be more problematic, due to the restrictions already in force in some markets such as Japan, China and Taiwan.
La Lombardy region, aware of the importance of the pig sector for the local economy, is stepping up control measures. Drones and even the military are being used to patrol and monitor the affected areas. In addition, teams of hunters have been organized to kill wild boars, which are mainly responsible for the spread of the disease. Funds have been made available to increase fences and isolate areas where infected carcasses have been found.
Farmers still express concern about the management of the emergency.
According to Paolo Maccazzola, president of Cia Lombardia, so far not enough has been done to address the culling of wild boars, which pose a threat both to the health of farmed pigs and to cultivated fields. Despite the containment plans, the wild boar population has not only not decreased, but has actually increased.
The extraordinary commissioner for swine fever, Vincenzo Caputo, admits that the slaughterhouse plan could avoid an economic catastrophe. In fact, the Lombardy Region does not have the necessary funds to compensate all farms which would otherwise be forced to cull.
In summary, Lombardy is adopting an innovative approach to deal with the swine fever emergency, trying to protect the pig industry and farmers without having to resort to massive culling.
An anti culling plan has been implemented in Lombardy following the discovery of two wild boars infected with swine fever. The Region is working to create a network of slaughterhouses specialized in processing pork from farms located in the affected areas, but subject to strict biosecurity measures.
Lombardy represents half of the entire Italian pig farming, with over 2.700 farms and 4,1 million pigs. The possible culling of pigs raised in infected areas would bring the national production of PDO and PGI meat and cured meats to its knees.
The slaughterhouse plan was proposed on 30 June during a meeting involving the regional health authorities, the farmers' associations (CIA, Confagricoltura and Coldiretti) and those of the industrialists (Assica and Assocarni). According to the European regulation, animals from infected areas can be slaughtered provided that they come from farms subject to enhanced biosecurity measures and that the designated slaughterhouses guarantee the separation of meat consignments. The butchered meat can then be marketed in the European Union, but restrictions remain for exports to non-EU countries, such as Japan, China and Taiwan.
Even Emilia Romagna, which hosts 12% of the pigs raised in Italy and slaughters 35%, is working on a similar plan. However, in Lombardy the situation is more urgent as swine fever is already present. The current priority is to strengthen biosecurity measures on farms, which include disinfecting vehicles entering farms and restricting access to representatives of plant protection product manufacturers. However, these measures are costly and have so far only been implemented by a few farmers.
Once farms are secured, it will be necessary to obtain approval for slaughterhouses capable of handling the dual production stream. The Lombardy Region has also promised to step up control measures through the use of drones and the deployment of the army. In addition, teams of hunters have been organized to cull wild boar under the guidance of regional health authorities. The Region has allocated funds to increase fences and isolate areas where infected carcasses have been found. Despite these initiatives, farmers are still concerned. They believe that the emergency has been overlooked so far, especially with regard to the culling of wild boars responsible for spreading the disease.
Swine fever, an anti-killing plan to protect the pig industry in Lombardy
After the discovery of two infected wild boars, the Lombardy Region has developed an innovative plan to deal with the spread of swine fever without having to resort to mass slaughter of the animals. The goal is to create a network of slaughterhouses specialized in processing pork from farms located in the affected areas, but subject to strict biosecurity measures.
In conclusion, Lombardy is adopting an innovative approach to deal with the swine fever emergency without resorting to massive culling. The slaughterhouse plan provides for the creation of a network of specialized slaughterhouses to process pork from infected areas, but subject to strict biosecurity measures. However, more efforts are needed to curb the spread of the disease and manage the wild boar population. Collaboration between regional health authorities, farmers and industrialists in the sector will be essential to protect the pig industry and ensure food safety.
These strategies are not to be trusted!
Absolutely!