Demand to stop pastoral pig farming outrages German farmer

ASF tightening threatens 'free pig' business

Gut Hirschaue breeds pigs on a 200-hectare pasture surrounded by four fences and sells directly to consumers, previously with a special permit. Now, as part of the fight against the African swine fever virus, owners are required to urgently build a pigsty and place animals there, reports Alfons Deter on the Topagrar portal.

Following further detections of African swine fever (ASF)-infected boar carcasses near Sieversdorf in the municipality of Jakobsdorf (Oder-Spree), the authorities are declaring another key ASF quarantine area and tightening regulations. The Gut Hirschaue company also got into the quarantine zone.

Managing DIRECTOR Henrik Staar, in an interview with the RBB television channel, said that with such requirements for the ecological concept of pig production, the end is coming. “We have been building a functioning direct marketing system for decades, and now this concept is being sacrificed for the export-oriented pig market system. This is my impression,” Staar told the TV presenter.

“Every few weeks a new general decree is issued with completely new framework conditions. it is not clear whether the company will be able to continue to operate sustainably in such an environment,” he added.

The veterinary service categorically forbade the cultivation of free-range pigs and ordered the construction of a pigsty no later than August 22.

According to the official veterinarian Petra Sanger, there are no exceptions for anyone anymore, because the problem of ASF continues to grow.

“The risk of ASF virus being introduced into free-range systems is much higher than when animals are kept indoors. We have cases of infection even in small pigsties. And in pasture pig production, the risk is 20-30% higher. In addition, the owner of the animal must also take responsibility for minimizing this risk,” she explained.