Estonia: Pork trade from Lithuania reopened despite ASF
After a four-day break, Estonia has reversed a decision to ban Lithuanian pork from crossing its borders amid the outbreak of the deadly African Swine Fever (ASF),
Only six days ago, the Estonian Veterinary and Food Board prohibited the import of pork and its products from Lithuania as ASF had been found on a large commercial farm, Danish-owned Idavang Company, which was housing about 20,000 pigs. The board said it turned back on its decision to allow local businesses to benefit, Baltic Times reports.
Ago Partel, head of the country’s Food and Veterinary Board explained, “Since it was a big farm, with 20,000 pigs, we could not be absolutely certain before Lithuania confirmed that live pigs and pork from there did not reach Estonia.” Partel added that at the moment, there is no problem for shops to sell Lithuanian pork and its products.
Some companies sell pork that was manufactured in Lithuania, but these are not sourced there. Most supermarket chains reported only a few products. They had not started destroying products as they were waiting to see what the European Commission would do.
On Monday, the Food and Veterinary Office established a buffer zone extending 40 kilometres from the centers of Latvian outbreaks. In this zone, extremely strict requirements have been set on pig farms, which includes the whole of Valgamaa county, Karksi parish in Viljandimaa county and four parishes of Vorumaa bordering Valgamaa county.
Several occurrences of African Swine Fever were found very close to the Latvian-Estonian border.
Read and experience more about the spread of African Swine Fever in the European Union in the latest Editor’s View by Pig Progress.
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