Spanish pork imports restricted after African swine fever outbreak

DEFRA has moved to stop UK imports of pigs, porcine meat or meat products from Spain’s Catalonian region following the first outbreak of African swine fever in wild boar there in three decades.

The government department originally blocked all pig and pig product imports when the outbreak first arose at the end of November, but has now refined this to producers in and around the Catalonia region, encompassing Barcelona.

However, as the region represents 43% in volume and value of Spain’s total meat exports, according to Catalonian state-owned company Prodeca, this still represents a major restriction.

Many Spanish meats popular in the UK hospitality sector are affected by the restrictions, including chorizo, Serrano ham and Iberico ham.

The DEFRA statement did not give an estimate as to when imports may be able to resume, saying that the regionalisation measures and restrictions would apply to “consignments of live porcines, porcine semen, and porcine meat or meat products from Spain currently held at ports” as well as “any future consignments received at ports”.

The government department pledged to monitor the situation and keep measures under review.

Asaja, the largest agricultural organisation in Spain, said that African swine fever “poses no risk to human health” and that “the sector guarantees that meat products are 100% safe”, though it called on the Spanish government to “implement all the measures at their disposal” to stop the disease’s spread.

Since the outbreak, Spain’s reference market for pork, Mercolleida, recorded the biggest drop in pork sales in 30 years. Accumulated price decline surpassed 34%.