More than €1.144 billion of Catalan exports threatened by African swine fever
China, the main destination market, will only prohibit the entry of meat from the province of Barcelona, where the cases have been detected.
BarcelonaThe outbreak of African swine fever is having a major impact on the Catalan agri-food sector, where pork exports are a key pillar and last year accounted for 19% of total Catalan food and beverage exports. Starting this Friday, have been restricted immediately halt all pork exports to countries outside the EU.
The prohibition Exports of this product outside the European Union (EU) represent a total of €1,144.39 million, according to the latest available data from the Catalan government (Generalitat), corresponding to the previous fiscal year. Asia is the main market for Catalan pork and sausages, with exports to countries such as China and Vietnam totaling €804.32 million. Next is the non-EU market, with €230.58 million. Further behind are Latin America (€37.58 million), North America (€35.72 million), and Oceania (€30.55 million). Africa ranks last, with only pork exports (€5.64 million). Non-EU markets account for 33% of total exports. EU countries account for a total of €2,338.84 million in pork and processed meat exports, representing 67% of the total. This export figure breaks down into €6.24 million for live pigs, €3,036.3 million for pork, and €545.57 million for processed meats, totaling nearly €3,600 million. Separately, the emergence of two cases of African swine fever has led to the suspension of approximately 120 export health certificates for various pork products to nearly 40 countries. On a positive note, China, the main customer for both Spain and Catalonia in pork products, recognizes regionalization. Therefore, this market will only prohibit the entry of pork originating from the province of Barcelona, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. This Asian country has, however, suspended the purchase of pig casings for calibration from all of Spain. What remains to be seen is whether other markets decide to close their borders to products only from areas near the outbreak or, on the contrary, ban imports from all of Spain. In total, the State earns more than 8 billion euros annually from pork exports, according to data from the Ministry of Economy. The latest available data, between January and September of this year, shows sales approaching 6 billion euros. Spain, as the world's second-largest pork exporter and the largest in Europe, sells 1 billion euros worth of pork to China alone. It does not affect human health.
African swine fever is a disease caused by a virus that has no effect on human health (neither through contact nor consumption of meat), but is highly contagious among wild boar and pigs, with mortality rates approaching 100%. It manifests with fever and hemorrhaging in the skin and internal organs of the animals. The epidemic has been spreading through Europe for years, entering in 2014 through Russia and, from there, jumping to Belarus and Ukraine. During 2023, the presence of the disease was confirmed for the first time in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, and Sweden. In early 2024, the disease was detected for the first time in Montenegro and Albania.