Vlajčić warns breeders: 10 days to fix shortcomings or – removal

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries David Vlajčić stated that African Swine Fever (ASF) spread over the past weekend exclusively within outbreak, surveillance, and restriction protection zones, and currently affects a relatively small number of pigs compared to neighboring countries, while announcing new measures.

At a press conference held in Osijek, Minister David Vlajčić also assessed that a large number of farms in those outbreak areas are infected, and that the disease appears daily on new farms in those settlements.

“The veterinary profession says there is no sense in waiting for the infection to take over all remaining farms it has not yet reached, while at the same time there is a high risk that new outbreaks will be created and that it will simply leak to other disease-free areas,” the minister said, asserting that waiting definitely does not save the pigs in those areas.

Given this situation, he issued an order on additional control measures to suppress African Swine Fever in high-risk areas with the aim of stopping the further spread of the disease and protecting the Croatian pig population, which takes effect immediately.

This involves the intervention of veterinary inspector teams and veterinarians, with logistical support from the Civil Protection Directorate and the Ministry of the Interior in the municipalities of Draž and Đurđenovac in Osijek-Baranja County, and Zdenci and Crnac in Virovitica-Podravina County.

He stated that this concerns about 600 pigs registered on the remaining farms in the area covered by the measures due to African Swine Fever. He pointed out that immediate intervention is being taken to prevent the spread of the disease and the opening of new outbreaks.

“Before any removal, inspectors will consistently check the condition of each farm. Anyone who has complied with the rules, which we appeal to in every public appearance, will be entitled to full compensation by the state based on the market value of the pigs,” Vlajčić said.

He added that following these four municipalities, the second step will cover around 300 of the most vulnerable farms located next to existing outbreak zones.

“If non-compliance is determined for anyone, they will have a 10-day deadline to avoid the removal of their pigs, to protect themselves, and to be ready for the eventual arrival of the disease. This is a final call and opportunity for those farms so they do not create new outbreaks. Therefore, whoever meets the rules keeps working. Whoever has a minor or any kind of non-compliance has one more 10-day opportunity to remedy it,” he warned.

Years of Education and Warnings

Vlajčić stated that veterinarians conducted 20,414 inspections last autumn, notifications were sent, and teams are truly constantly out in the field.

“If, after eight years of education, three years of warnings, and the additional 10-day deadline I have just announced, they do not comply with the rules, they will unfortunately leave us with no choice, and we will have to proceed with removing the pigs,” Vlajčić warned, stating that they want to euthanize and remove the smallest possible number of pigs.

According to Minister Vlajčić, the veterinary inspection should complete its oversight this week, with the deadline set for August 12.

“And the oversight of those 300 farms will start perhaps even in parallel with this, in accordance with the capacities and the number of teams they manage to secure, but at the latest after this first step, the second step starts immediately. The 10-day deadline begins from the moment they are visited by a veterinary inspector,” he concluded.

Source: HRT