Eight more suspected swine fever cases as Spain struggles to limit export damage

MADRID, Nov 30 (Reuters) – Eight more wild boar with suspected cases of African swine fever were discovered near Barcelona, La Vanguardia newspaper reported on Sunday, as Spain struggles to limit the damage to a pork export industry worth billions of euros a year.

The newspaper cited sources close to the Catalan agriculture ministry. Two cases have been confirmed, and 12 others have shown signs they may also have the disease but are undergoing tests to confirm this. If confirmed, it would bring the number of infected animals to 14.

The Catalan government, which declined to confirm the number of cases, on Sunday requested the help of specialists from the army to contain the outbreak.

About a third of Spanish pork export certificates have been blocked after the first outbreak of swine fever in Spain – the European Union’s top pork producer – since 1994, Spain’s agriculture minister said on Saturday.

“Of the 400 export certificates to 104 countries, a third are blocked. We are working to open them as quickly as possible,” Agriculture Minister Luis Planas told a press conference.

Planas said the value of the country’s pork exports is 8.8 billion euros ($10.2 billion) a year. “Our task is to keep international markets open,” he added.

African swine fever is not harmful to humans but spreads rapidly among pigs and wild boar. A number of countries have already reacted to its spread in Spain. 

Taiwan’s agriculture ministry said on Saturday it had banned all pork products and live pig imports, while China has banned pork imports from Barcelona province, a Chinese Customs document seen by Reuters showed. 

Britain on Friday said it would temporarily stop imports of pork meat from Catalonia, and Mexico has suspended imports of pork products from Spain.

($1 = 0.8624 euros)

(Reporting by Graham Keeley; Editing by David Holmes)