Ukrainian Meat Association sounds the alarm about ASF spread
The industrial segment of the pig industry in Ukraine is on the brink of a catastrophe, with up to 50% of the pig population at risk and financial losses expected to reach €1 billion this year due to African Swine Fever (ASF). The Ukrainian Meat Association has issued a stark warning on its website, calling on the authorities to urgently approve the use of the AVAC ASF Live vaccine against the virus.
“As of October 2024, after a year of talk and outright misinformation on ASF vaccination, up to 50% of pigs in the industrial sector and households could be lost. A significant portion of pigs infected with ASF have been sold illegally for over a year, which has caused an unprecedented wave of ASF in Ukraine,” it reads.
Looming doubts
The meat industry criticised the Ukrainian Pig Breeders Association, which is relatively cautious about the prospects of using the ASF vaccine in Ukraine. In an earlier statement, the Ukrainian pig breeders suggested against authorising the use of the vaccine until prominent international veterinary organisations recognise its effectiveness.
The Pig Breeders Association also indicated that the disputes about using the vaccine “harm the reputation of the industry and are aimed at lobbying the financial interests of certain interested parties.”
The Ukrainian State Service of Ukraine for Food Safety and Consumer Protection reached out to Vietnam regarding the results of using this vaccine but did not receive a response.
Urgent measures needed
However, the Ukrainian meat association insists that the country needs this vaccine to prevent the industry from collapsing. “We should move from verbal battles to action – to save pig farming in Ukraine and analyse all the pros and cons of ASF vaccination based on our own results. It is a shame that some pig farmers still do not understand this,” the meat association claimed.
The Meat Association revealed that Ukraine could received 400,000 doses of the vaccine back in 2023 for free, but the pig farmers blocked the delivery.
The Breeders Association decided to believe that the Vietnamese vaccines against ASF registered in 3 countries do not have the confirmed status of a safe product and claim that these commercial drugs have the status of “vaccine candidate against.” The Meat Association stressed that a vaccine cannot be considered a “candidate vaccine” if it is already registered and recognised as a vaccine.
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