Spain's Big Pork Industry Tries to Stop Swine Fever

Jordi Saltiveri looks at his farm with 8,000 pigs and remembers when African Swine Fever was found in Spain.

He felt sad and angry because other countries stopped buying Spanish pork.

Saltiveri's farm is in a quiet area in Catalonia, northeastern Spain.

An old flag hangs near the farm, and pigs can be heard inside.

The virus hasn't reached this area, but Saltiveri and other farmers are still affected.

Each pig they sell is worth €30-€40 less than before the outbreak.

African Swine Fever is very contagious and deadly for pigs, but not for humans.

The outbreak started in a park near Barcelona, where a wild boar with the virus was found.

Many wild boar in the area are helping the virus spread.

The minister for agriculture says being too kind to wild animals caused overpopulation.

Wild boar are a big problem, causing accidents and spreading diseases.

There are 120,000-180,000 wild boar in Catalonia, and the goal is to reduce this number.

The government is culling boar in high-risk areas to stop the virus.

They use traps, cameras, and drones to catch and test the boar.

The authorities are restricting boar movement with fences and disinfecting vehicles.

The minister says Spain has strong biosecurity measures in place.

He says they must defend the farming sector and the economy.

Spain's pork industry is the biggest in Europe, worth €25bn.

Many countries stopped importing Spanish pork after the outbreak.

The drop in demand affects not just the amount of pork exported, but also its price.

Pork exports from Catalonia were down 17% in January.

The Spanish pork industry has lost over €600m since the crisis began.

A country must be disease-free for 12 months to regain its export status.

In Germany, the disease caused a 25% drop in pork production and many farm closures.

Spain looks to Belgium as an example of successfully eliminating the virus.

Saltiveri is confident his farm will remain uninfected due to strong biosecurity measures.

Some in the pork industry think Spain's efforts to contain the virus are not enough.

After boar tested positive outside the high-risk zone, some criticized the government's response.

Farmers are paying the cost of the outbreak, and Spain must not become like Germany.

Domestic consumption is holding up, with shoppers trusting the safety measures.

People in Barcelona are calm about buying pork due to the controls in place.

Some shoppers feel reassured because pork is subject to more controls now.

A pork butcher says retail prices have remained steady since the crisis began.

Spaniards still appreciate pork and eat all parts of the pig.

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