ASF Moldova: 20% of pig herd culled due to outbreaks
In a series of African Swine Fever (ASF) outbreaks in March and April 2025, around 118,000 pigs had to be culled in Moldova. This equals roughly 20% of the entire pig population.
Since the beginning of 2025, Moldova has been hit with the most devastating series of ASF outbreaks in its history. Moldova’s veterinary service reported that it registered around 30 separate outbreaks in different parts of the country, 2 of which at commercial farms.
Short-term drop in production
If the culling leads to a decrease in pork supplies, this is only temporary, said the Moldovan Pig Farmers Association. Andrian Burduja, the association’s head, said that the affected pig farms will resume operations this autumm. This means that the decrease in production would be only short-term.
Burduja emphasised: “As for prices, the situation is stable. Our prices are 3-5% lower than in 2024. Any increase in prices will automatically lead to mass imports. We, as producers, will not be able to increase prices even if we wanted to.”
The Moldovan Food Security Agency has also issued a statement, echoing the sentiment of the pig farmers association. It claims that there is no threat of a pork shortage in the country. The agency did say that demand will partly be met by imports.
A pork gap to be filled
Moldovan meat processors, however, would have estimated that the domestic market is already in short supply, lacking around 8,000 tons of pork, according to local news outlet Gagauz Info, citing unnamed market players. The gap will be filled in the coming weeks by rising imports from the European Union, the publication said.
The switch to import is not expected to be painless. Gagauz Info reported that the average pork prices in retail have already increased by 18 to 20 Moldovan leu (€0.90-€1) per kg, and a further rise is anticipated in the coming weeks, as imports are subjected to relatively high import duties.
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