Rarely has Catalan livestock farming been subjected to such intense pressure as experienced throughout 2025 and these first months of 2026. When we look back, this period will stand out as one of the most complex and demanding in recent decades. The emergence of infectious diseases such as lumpy skin disease (LSD) in cattle, African swine fever (ASF) in wild boars, and avian influenza in poultry has strained the biosecurity, economic sustainability, and response capacity of many farms, especially family-run ones.This situation is compounded by the proliferation of the Asian hornet, which seriously threatens honeybees and, consequently, the balance of biodiversity. The consequences are already evident. In the case of pigs, the crisis has led to weekly losses of millions due to the collapse of prices at the Mercolleida market. The big unknown today is how long the sector can withstand this.Bovine dermatosisContagious nodular dermatosis, detected in L'Alt Empordà with 18 confirmed outbreaks, forced the activation of surveillance zones and the vaccination of hundreds of thousands of animals.Currently, the situation is considered controlled in Catalonia. However, mandatory vaccination is planned for all animals present on the farm, those being born, and those joining the farm who are not vaccinated. In parallel, the Department of Agriculture is finalizing an order to recover the productive potential of the affected farms, an essential measure for the sector.African swine fever in wild boarsIn parallel, the detection of ASF in wild boars in Collserola has led to restrictions in nearly a hundred municipalities and more than 250 confirmed cases, with direct impacts on marketing and prices.Faced with this situation, the Federation of Agrarian Cooperatives of Catalonia (FCAC) has repeatedly called for intensifying and streamlining control measures: from sanitary emptying to increasing the pace of captures and surveillance in affected areas.Despite the coordination of the bodies involved and the actions taken, more speed and effectiveness are needed to contain the spread of the disease and reduce its impact. It cannot be forgotten that Catalonia concentrates 20% of the state's pig production and almost half of the exports.Avian fluAvian influenza has also generated restrictions and additional costs for farms. Last April 1st, the mandatory confinement outside risk zones was lifted, while maintaining biosecurity measures. Despite this, limitations remain in force in high-risk areas, especially in the wetlands of the Delta de l’Ebre and Empordà, and in areas with current health restrictions.The Asian hornet, a growing threatThe beekeeping sector continues to await a shock plan to tackle the Asian hornet (Vespa velutina), an invasive species that preys on bees and compromises both honey production and pollination. The current proposal – based on the placement of 700 traps throughout Catalonia – is late and clearly insufficient. Action should have been taken in early March, as other autonomous communities have done.Among the measures proposed by the FCAC are queen trapping, specific training for beekeepers, and the authorization of attractant products, actions that could significantly reduce the impact of the pest. Added to all this is the increase in costs, especially fuel during the campaign. Unlike other agricultural sub-sectors, the beekeeping sector has been excluded from diesel aid, despite suffering increases of up to 30% in production costs.Furthermore, Varroa, adverse meteorological phenomena, forest fires, and the pressure of low-cost honey imports worsen the sector's situation.

Agricultural income –the value of production by farmers and ranchers– reached its highest point in 20 years in Catalonia in 2025, with 2,805.1 million euros, according to data published this Wednesday by the Department of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food of the Generalitat. Thus, the Catalan primary sector leaves behind the hardest years of the drought, when production fell substantially: "This increase consolidates the recovery of the agricultural sector after very complex years," assured the Minister of Agriculture, Òscar Ordeig, at a press conference.

The Catalan Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, and Food, Òscar Ordeig, called on Thursday for innovative policies in the agri-food sector, both public and private, to ensure that food production, which has sometimes "been subordinated to other paradigms," becomes Catalonia's flagship project in the coming years. "Environmental policies have been implemented without considering agri-food policies; urban planning policies have been implemented without considering food production policies; and health policies have been implemented without considering that we have a Mediterranean diet, a UNESCO World Heritage Site," Ordeig explained on Thursday at the Pim headquarters. In addition to this need for a forward-looking vision in the sector, Ordeig also stated that it is necessary to make decisions to move forward and find a balance between "not forging ahead without thinking, and thinking without forging ahead." "We have met many times with the sector to be clear about where we needed to go, but above all we have had to make decisions, manage, manage, and manage," explained the regional minister, who cited the recent health crises that have affected the agri-food sector in Catalonia as an example.

The Catalan pig farming sector has accumulated losses of approximately €63 million so far due to the outbreak of African swine fever (ASF) detected in Vallès Occidental, according to calculations presented this Tuesday by the farmers' union Unió de Pagesos. Specifically, Catalan farmers have gone from earning approximately €20 per pig on average in 2025 to losing €36 per animal following the detection of the disease in Catalonia. These losses are due to the drop in pork prices and, above all, the loss of foreign markets outside the European Union, since pork is the country's main export industry within the agri-food sector. Furthermore, more than 61,000 head of cattle were quarantined in the province of Barcelona. European, Spanish, and international protocols against the spread of the ASF virus They limit the sale of meat abroad And they stipulate that the entire country will be considered affected by the epidemic until 12 months have passed without any new cases being detected. The fact that the sector has begun operating at a loss is causing concern among farmers. "What we can't do is produce at a loss for an extended period," said Rossend Saltiveri, head of the pig farming sector at Unió de Pagesos, at a press conference in Lleida.

Around 350 tractors blocked the C-25 highway (the Eix Transversal) on Monday morning to protest the overpopulation of wildlife in Catalonia, in a demonstration organized by the main agricultural organizations in the region. The mobilization, which began at 9 a.m., brought farmers to the streets to demand, above all, "control of overpopulations of game animals"—especially wild boar, rabbits, roe deer, and red deer—and a "review" of the Livestock Health Service. The march was supported by Unió de Pagesos, Revolta Pagesa, Asaja, and the Plataforma Pagesos o Conejos (Farmers or Rabbits Platform).

African swine fever (ASF) was first discovered in Kenya in 1910 and arrived in Europe in 1960, where it remained for over thirty years. The virus entered via a flight from Angola to Portugal. Leftover catering from that plane, already infected with ASF, was used to feed Portuguese pigs, starting the epidemic on the continent. And also in our country. This caused serious economic damage to a sector that was already important in those distant decades. Eradication of the virus was long and slow, until in 1994 Spain was finally declared free of ASF. But from then until the virus's return to Collserola just a few days ago, the pig farming sector has never been free of the disease. In between, there was another one: classical swine fever (CSF).

Several countries have already accepted the import of pork and pork products produced in Catalonia and throughout Spain, with the exception of products from companies located within the 20-kilometer radius considered the area affected by African swine fever (ASF), as explained this Thursday by the Catalan Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, and Food. Specifically, countries such as the United Kingdom, Chile, and the Philippines have agreed to import Spanish pork from outside this perimeter, while China—the main market outside the European Union—accepts meat from all over Spain except for the province of Barcelona. The ban on exports to countries outside the European Union initially affected all farms in Catalonia and throughout Spain, without exception, when the epidemic was declared in Spain last week. Following the declaration, the Ministry of Agriculture has had to negotiate the regionalization of export bans on a country-by-country basis so that farms not located in areas affected by African swine fever can continue exporting.

The Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food announced on Tuesday that the number of wild boars infected with African swine fever (ASF) has risen to nine, according to a statement. Until now, only two carcasses found in Cerdanyola del Vallès had tested positive for the disease, but seven more suspected cases have now also tested positive, according to analyses conducted by the National Reference Laboratory in Algete (Madrid), which is part of the ministry. According to the ministry's statement, the carcasses of the seven newly infected wild boars were found "very close to where the other two appeared last week," in the Collserola area. The new figure has been reported to the European Commission and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH). However, the Spanish government maintains that no cases have been detected in domestic pigs or on pig farms.

The Catalan and Spanish pork sector (farmers, integrating companies, business associations, and slaughterhouses) claims to be well-prepared for the arrival of African swine fever (ASF). In fact, many predicted that the epidemic would reach Spain sooner or later. In any case, there doesn't seem to be any panic. Reference prices for pork at Mercolleida have fallen between 10 cents and 5 euros following the declaration of the African swine fever (ASF) outbreak detected in Catalonia, the Lleida market reported on Monday. The price boards for fattening pigs, sows, and piglets met in Mercolleida in an extraordinary session to analyze the market situation after the ASF cases.

The Catalan pharmaceutical company Hipra will begin animal trials next year of the prototype vaccines it has developed against African swine fever (ASF), although the treatment will not be available to eradicate the current outbreak of the virus detected in Catalonia. The company has been researching the virus since 2019 and has been leading a European project to develop an ASF vaccine for the past two years. Marta Sitjà, research director of Hipra's animal health division, admits that this virus, in addition to its virulence, is also "very complex" because it has up to 150 proteins, and blocking just one is not enough to prevent it from continuing to infect pigs. However, Hipra cannot yet give a date for when the ASF vaccine will reach the market. "We are still far from that," says Sitjà, who emphasizes that in the face of the current crisis, measures must be taken to eradicate the virus.

The Spanish government is negotiating at all levels to "limit as much as possible" the economic impact of African swine fever, confirmed after two cases were detected—with four more cases pending validation—in two wild boars in Collserola. ASF 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 between wild boar and pigs, with mortality rates approaching 100%. For this reason, some countries are very protectionist regarding imports from countries where this disease has reappeared. Specifically, the Minister of Agriculture, Luis Planas, has stated that 20 countries have, so far, blocked the purchase of Spanish pork products.

The Catalan government confirmed on Friday two positive cases of African swine fever (ASF) in two wild boars found dead this week in the municipality of Cerdanyola del Vallès (Vallès Occidental), and has therefore activated its contingency plan against the disease, according to a statement from the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. The plan's measures include an immediate ban on pork exports outside the EU. These two cases are currently the only ones found in Spain, so there is no evidence that the disease is affecting any farms in Catalonia. "So far, no outbreaks have been detected in domestic animals in Catalonia," the Ministry of Agriculture stated in a press release. However, at a press conference, the Catalan Minister of Agriculture, Òscar Ordeig, stated that there is a "high" probability of new cases being found in Catalonia. The last case detected in the state was in 1994.

BonÀrea's expansion beyond Catalonia includes a mandatory stop in Aragon. The Guissona-based company (Segarra) has been building a large-scale production and logistics center in the town of Épila, in the province of Zaragoza, since 2019. This center is intended to supply the company's supermarkets beyond the Catalan market.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has decreed the confinement, effective this Thursday, of all free-range poultry on farms across the country. The measure represents a "reinforcement" of preventative measures to control the spread of avian influenza, according to the Spanish government, as it is a highly contagious viral disease. The executive branch has issued a ministerial order affecting all poultry farms in the country, including organic farms, those raising poultry for personal consumption, and those producing meat or eggs for direct sale to consumers. The order extends the prohibition to all animals kept outdoors. The measure had been in effect since Monday in areas considered to be of special risk and under special surveillance, which until now comprised 1,201 municipalities. According to Joan Anton Rafecas, president of the Catalan Poultry Federation (FAC, the Catalan employers' association for the sector), these are "preventive measures" aimed at preventing the spread of avian influenza. Since July, 139 outbreaks of this disease have been reported on European poultry farms, 14 of which have been detected on Spanish farms. Half of the cases in Spain have been reported in Castile and León—the epicenter of the disease in Spain is in the province of Valladolid—and none on Catalan farms. However, now all poultry farms in Spain must also comply with a series of measures, within the framework of the extension of this lockdown. These measures include the prohibition of raising ducks and geese with other poultry species, providing birds with water from containers accessible to wild birds, and protecting outdoor water containers from wild waterfowl. Holding competitions or exhibitions with the presence of poultry is prohibited, and it is also required that when confinement of the birds is not possible, the competent authority of each autonomous community may authorize maintaining confinement outdoors through the placement of bird netting. In this respect, most Catalan poultry farms are not affected by the measure because they already raise the birds in enclosed, covered areas. According to data from the Catalan Poultry Federation (FAC), the ministerial order will affect approximately 10% of the sector in Catalonia, which are the farms that do keep the animals outdoors. Farmers' understanding

Rafecas recalls in statements to ARA that in Catalonia there has been no case of avian flu since 2023, when Only one was detected throughout the entire yearHowever, the president of the Catalan Poultry Federation (FAC) is understanding of the measure approved by the Spanish government. "It's not the most desirable, but it's the most convenient," he notes, while pointing out that in recent years—for example, two years ago—other confinements of farm birds have already been approved to prevent further outbreaks, so the ministerial order is not new for Catalan farmers. Keeping the birds confined may cause some "inconveniences" on certain farms, mainly operational in nature, Rafecas adds. Regarding a possible financial impact or on prices, the FAC does not foresee much more than a "negligible" decrease in egg production resulting from the hens being kept in enclosed spaces, but without causing any significant losses, according to the president of the association.

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The outbreak of lumpy skin disease (LSD) that currently affects Seventeen dairy farms in Alt Empordà and one in Gironès, has all cattle farmers in Catalonia on tenterhooks. While the Department of Agriculture and Livestock's vaccination campaign progresses 50 km around the outbreaks of the disease, the sector is experiencing days of "fear" and "anxiety," hoping that the virus does not spread and the situation does not worsen further. Meanwhile, the markets remain stable, with a certain "tense calm" in the prices of milk and beef, as we await the impact of the disappearance, overnight, of the nearly 2,000 head of cattle that have already been recovered.

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As new outbreaks of lumpy skin disease (LSD) appear in the Alt Empordà region, the number of vaccines administered to combat the disease is increasing. So far, up to 207,000 vaccines have been released so veterinarians can administer them on farms within the protected zones close to confirmed outbreaks, as announced by the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food, Luis Planas, at a press conference this Tuesday following the Council of Ministers. Planas explained that these doses arrived in three separate batches and that negotiations are underway to secure more.

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A new case of lumpy skin disease in Cassà de la Selva (Gironès) on a farm with 151 cows, of which 4 have been affected. This is the tenth outbreak of the disease detected in Catalonia and the first to be declared outside of the Alt EmpordàThis, along with three other outbreaks detected in Northern Catalonia, has meant that the disease's protection radius has had to be modified.

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Four more farms in the Empordà region have registered cases of cattle infected with the lumpy skin disease (LSD) virus, bringing the number of farms affected by the virus back to a new high in Catalonia, according to the Regional Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, and Fisheries, Òscar Ordeig, on Wednesday. All cases of the disease have been detected on nearby farms—located in the municipalities of Vilabertran, Peralada, and Pedret i Marzà, in the Alt Empordà region—and last week, the Catalan government began vaccinating all animals on farms within a 20-kilometer radius of the original outbreak, which began in early October.

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The Generalitat (Catalan government) approved a decree law on Tuesday with urgent measures to "alleviate the effects of the successive crises" that have affected the Catalan primary sector since 2019 and that have "put at risk" its viability, according to the Catalan administration itself in a statement issued after the meeting of the executive council.

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The Catalan government confirmed this Wednesday a third outbreak of lumpy skin disease (LSD, the disease that affects cattle) on a farm in Castelló d'Empúries. This brings the number of farms affected by the virus to three in Catalonia, all in the Alt Empordà region. Furthermore, the Catalan government's Department of Agriculture announced that it is postponing the start of animal vaccinations scheduled for this Wednesday by one day, until Thursday, due to problems with vaccine delivery.

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