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Italy: Soldiers to hunt wild boars to save charcuterie from epidemic
Published on:09/15/2024 - 00:11
A serious outbreak of African swine fever (African swine fever) is raging among the approximately two million wild boars in Italy. This virus, incurable, highly contagious and often fatal for pigs, is particularly widespread in the north of the country and especially in Emilia-Romagna, the birthplace of the famous Parma ham. To eradicate the disease, the military has been given an unusual mission: to reduce the wild boar population. Although the virus is harmless to humans, stopping the ASF outbreak is crucial to saving the charcuterie industry, a jewel of the Made in Italy brand.
The first cases of African swine fever, otherwise known as ASF, were detected in Piedmont in 2022. Since then, the epidemic has spread mainly in the northwest of Italy, and those involved in the pork industry fear its uncontrollable development in the country, which has around 10 million farmed pigs.
According to Stefano Masini of the Confederation of Farmers (Coldiretti), ASF is indeed likely to have a considerable impact on pig farmers and sausage producers. " If an infected wild boar carcass is found, all pigs within a 12-kilometre radius of the area must be slaughtered to prevent possible contamination. That means even healthy pig farms. But currently, in Italy, not a single domestic pig is infected. We are acting with an extremely precautionary approach. The pork industry has a global value of 20 billion euros. If ASF were to completely invade Italy, ten million pigs would have to be slaughtered and we would lose 20 billion euros ! "
Regarding foreign sales, some third countries such as China have placed all pork products under embargo. Others, notably the United States, continue to import specialties, including the precious Parma ham, but on one condition, specifies Stefano Masini: " If 400 days of maturation are respected for the raw ham, food safety is guaranteed. In Italy, 12 million Parma hams and 3 million San Daniele hams are produced per year, 30% of which are exported mainly to the United States. We have 42 specialties that have obtained the European PDO or PGI quality labels. It is an extraordinary identity heritage ! So Coldiretti supports the need to intervene to restore ecosystems. "
Restoring ecosystems means, first of all, increasing the regulation of the wild boar population, estimated at nearly 2 million. To this end, the government has just strengthened its ASF eradication plan, coordinated by an extraordinary commissioner, Vincenzo Caputo: " These 177 men will be deployed mainly in the regions of Lombardy, Piedmont and Emilia-Romagna, where the largest pig district in Europe for processing is located. We have developed an innovative technique, with drones to accurately count wild pigs in the territory. The soldiers will also help us search for dead ungulates, and they will be able to selectively eliminate wild boars with firearms. "
Some oppose the slaughter of wild boars
The military will be supported by "hunter-regulators". There are 15,000 of them who have been trained in biosecurity and knowledge of African swine fever. Since the start of the epidemic, Rome has released 45 million euros for activities to combat ASF and aid to the pork industry. But environmental associations are criticizing the government authorities' action plan. Annamaria Procacci, from the National Institution for the Protection of Animals (Enpa), is outraged:
" We are opposed to the slaughter of wild boars, because it causes the displacement of terrorized packs to other areas. However, we must avoid their dispersion if we want to limit the risk of contamination in other places. It certainly strikes people to say 'now we are sending the army into the field', but that is not the solution to ASF ! "
Enpa is banking heavily on fertility control to regulate the wild boar population in a humane way. GonaCon, an immuno-contraceptive vaccine developed in the United States, whose effect lasts for about five years, is currently being tested thanks to an authorization from the Ministry of Health. But even before the results of the experiments are published, controversies are multiplying.
So, the hope of eradicating ASF in Italy rests mainly on the shoulders of the extraordinary commissioner: " If we continue with the model we have put in place, I think that within three years we will have finished with African swine fever. "
Italy: Soldiers to hunt wild boars to save charcuterie from epidemic
Published on:09/15/2024 - 00:11
A serious outbreak of African swine fever (African swine fever) is raging among the approximately two million wild boars in Italy. This virus, incurable, highly contagious and often fatal for pigs, is particularly widespread in the north of the country and especially in Emilia-Romagna, the birthplace of the famous Parma ham. To eradicate the disease, the military has been given an unusual mission: to reduce the wild boar population. Although the virus is harmless to humans, stopping the ASF outbreak is crucial to saving the charcuterie industry, a jewel of the Made in Italy brand.
The first cases of African swine fever, otherwise known as ASF, were detected in Piedmont in 2022. Since then, the epidemic has spread mainly in the northwest of Italy, and those involved in the pork industry fear its uncontrollable development in the country, which has around 10 million farmed pigs.
According to Stefano Masini of the Confederation of Farmers (Coldiretti), ASF is indeed likely to have a considerable impact on pig farmers and sausage producers. " If an infected wild boar carcass is found, all pigs within a 12-kilometre radius of the area must be slaughtered to prevent possible contamination. That means even healthy pig farms. But currently, in Italy, not a single domestic pig is infected. We are acting with an extremely precautionary approach. The pork industry has a global value of 20 billion euros. If ASF were to completely invade Italy, ten million pigs would have to be slaughtered and we would lose 20 billion euros ! "
Regarding foreign sales, some third countries such as China have placed all pork products under embargo. Others, notably the United States, continue to import specialties, including the precious Parma ham, but on one condition, specifies Stefano Masini: " If 400 days of maturation are respected for the raw ham, food safety is guaranteed. In Italy, 12 million Parma hams and 3 million San Daniele hams are produced per year, 30% of which are exported mainly to the United States. We have 42 specialties that have obtained the European PDO or PGI quality labels. It is an extraordinary identity heritage ! So Coldiretti supports the need to intervene to restore ecosystems. "
Restoring ecosystems means, first of all, increasing the regulation of the wild boar population, estimated at nearly 2 million. To this end, the government has just strengthened its ASF eradication plan, coordinated by an extraordinary commissioner, Vincenzo Caputo: " These 177 men will be deployed mainly in the regions of Lombardy, Piedmont and Emilia-Romagna, where the largest pig district in Europe for processing is located. We have developed an innovative technique, with drones to accurately count wild pigs in the territory. The soldiers will also help us search for dead ungulates, and they will be able to selectively eliminate wild boars with firearms. "
Some oppose the slaughter of wild boars
The military will be supported by "hunter-regulators". There are 15,000 of them who have been trained in biosecurity and knowledge of African swine fever. Since the start of the epidemic, Rome has released 45 million euros for activities to combat ASF and aid to the pork industry. But environmental associations are criticizing the government authorities' action plan. Annamaria Procacci, from the National Institution for the Protection of Animals (Enpa), is outraged:
" We are opposed to the slaughter of wild boars, because it causes the displacement of terrorized packs to other areas. However, we must avoid their dispersion if we want to limit the risk of contamination in other places. It certainly strikes people to say 'now we are sending the army into the field', but that is not the solution to ASF ! "
Enpa is banking heavily on fertility control to regulate the wild boar population in a humane way. GonaCon, an immuno-contraceptive vaccine developed in the United States, whose effect lasts for about five years, is currently being tested thanks to an authorization from the Ministry of Health. But even before the results of the experiments are published, controversies are multiplying.
So, the hope of eradicating ASF in Italy rests mainly on the shoulders of the extraordinary commissioner: " If we continue with the model we have put in place, I think that within three years we will have finished with African swine fever. "
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