International trade in Spanish pork is conditional on the suspension of nearly a third of export certificates following recent discoveries of wild boars infected with African swine fever in Barcelona province. As published by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, this halt mainly affects trade operations with countries that require compliance with difficult health requirements, with China being the main destination outside the EU and the volume of annual imports from Spain amounting to 1.1 billion euros.
According to information provided by the Minister of Agriculture, Luis Planas, this health crisis has caused the temporary closure of the access of pork products from Barcelona to international markets, an unprecedented event since the last appearance of the virus in Spanish territory in 1994. As reported by the reference media, in the last two days the authorities found six carcasses of wild pigs in the area affected by the virus, which led to the implementation of a strict surveillance perimeter of 20 kilometers, including 39 livestock farms and leaving the productive sector. Alert.
In an appearance before the media, Minister Planas acknowledged the seriousness of the situation and the concern in the sector, but explained that “African swine fever is not transmitted to humans and does not threaten food safety,” an information that was repeated in various statements by health authorities. Among the six infected animals, two cases have been officially confirmed by the Central Veterinary Laboratory in Algeti, and an investigation has been opened to trace the origin and possible course of the disease in the region, according to the Ministry of Agriculture.
Among the main hypotheses considered about the origin of the outbreak, Planas listed transmission from wildlife, feeding of contaminated remains by wild boars or the possible deliberate introduction of infected specimens into the area for breeding. This last line of research does not yet provide conclusive results, according to what ministerial officials indicated to the media.
The economic impact is particularly important at the international level. Spain exports pork with an annual value of approximately €8.8 billion, of which €5.1 billion is to the market within the European Union. This last number remains exempt from restrictions, since trading within the community is not affected at this time. However, sales to third countries – estimated at 3.7 billion euros annually – are subject to a system of personal monitoring and evaluation, file by file, according to the ministry.
Twenty countries, including China, Japan, Mexico and Vietnam, maintain regionalization of shipments as a condition to prevent the spread of the disease. This ruling means the immediate exclusion of Barcelona from the list of areas permitted for exports, while the entire flow of international trade remains under review, detailed government sources said. The head of agriculture confirmed that negotiations with the Chinese authorities are continuing, “negotiating for the resumption of trade as soon as possible,” and stressed the sensitivity of the markets to any health crisis of this kind, as he indicated in his appearance.
Regarding the structural dimension of the sector, Planas explained that the pork industry currently represents 40% of the value of Spanish livestock production and is equivalent to 17% of the national agricultural total. Spain occupies first place in the European Union classification regarding pig production and occupies third place in the world, preceded only by China and the United States. The weight of pork in the national economy explains the direct impact that the health crisis could have on the volume of exports and on rural and agro-industrial employment, according to ministerial assessments published by specialized media.
Outbreak management from the first moment involves coordinated actions between national, regional and local administrations. Among the main measures are strengthening biosecurity on farms, intensifying epidemiological surveillance of wildlife, as well as restricting movements in the affected area. In addition, Planas announced a meeting with representatives of the pork sector next Monday, along with an extraordinary session of the Veterinary Alert Network expected to include delegates from all autonomous communities the following Wednesday, according to what was stated in his last public intervention.
The closest precedent for an African swine fever outbreak in Western Europe corresponds to episodes detected in 2018 in the Belgian Ardennes region and cases reported in 2022 in the suburbs of Rome. According to the Agriculture Portfolio Head, affected countries faced a period of at least one year under strict control and surveillance measures before “disease-free” international health status was restored, a situation that further complicated the prospects for recovery of the affected markets.
Investigations into the source of infection continue without final results, and the authorities have announced a permanent review of each export permit “by country and certificate by certificate,” reiterating the goal of limiting the economic consequences. The central government insists on the need to take all precautions regarding biosecurity and on the importance of maintaining information transparency towards citizens and external markets, according to various national media reports during the development of the outbreak.