A particular initiative
The Lazio Region has started a very particular project that has to do with African swine fever and which is not slow to cause perplexity. The objective is to create a germplasm bank (the "seed" so to speak) of all local pig breed farms. There are essentially two breeds of attention in this case.
The words of the Region
We are talking about Casertana and Apulo-Calabrian. Giancarlo Righini, councilor for the budget, agriculture and food sovereignty, explained the initiative as follows: "I thank the regional agency Arsial and the national pig breeders association (Anas) for having started, at the instigation of the councillor, this important initiative which has a high scientific value, because it manages to provide a concrete response to the risk of genetic erosion of some pig breeds threatened by the spread of African Swine Fever".
Genetic heritage at risk
To create the pig sperm bank, approximately 20 farms that have taken part in programs aimed at the conservation of native breeds will be involved. The genetic heritage of these specimens, in fact, is put at risk by the spread of swine fever, a pathology that all Italian regions now have to deal with.