Agriculture in Estonia is now facing two serious crises at the same time. African swine fever (ASF) is spreading rapidly, and the weather conditions have also been highly unfavorable for the past 4 months.
African swine fever is widespread in Estonia. Outbreaks have been found on 8 farms, and nearly 10 percent of the pig farming sector has been affected by the virus.
The last few months have also been difficult for farmers due to poor weather conditions, which is why the government has essentially declared a virtual state of emergency in agriculture, on the basis of which it can apply for emergency aid from the European Commission.
“The current situation with African swine fever in Estonia is very serious. As of today, 8 farms have been affected, with a total of 26,000 pigs. This is just under 10 percent of the total number of pigs in Estonia. This has a very significant economic impact,” said Minister of Rural Affairs and Agriculture Hendrik Johannes Terras (Eesti 200)
Estonia’s trading partners, including Finland and the Netherlands, are also being cautious due to the situation in Estonia. In Finland, for instance, people are being advised not to buy meat from Estonia. According to Prime Minister Kristen Michal (Reform), if the situation continues, the country’s level of self-sufficiency may also decline.
“This is definitely a big blow to pork production. If 10 percent of the population has been affected, then it is certainly a problem. Secondly, pig farming and production are not just isolated issues. There is also feed production, which provides them with raw materials. A lot of people are involved in this,” Michal said.
The call to stay away from areas where ASF is spreading remains in effect, as it can also be transmitted by humans.
To prevent the spread of ASF, the government plans to reduce the country’s wild boar population by a third. The government will meet again on Saturday to discuss further measures.
However, African swine fever is not the only issue affecting agriculture in Estonia. From April to July, weather conditions for farming in Estonia were so poor that the government confirmed it with an official order. Essentially, it means a state of emergency has been declared in agriculture and farmers will not have to prove why their yields fell short of agreed levels.
“We have had a cool spring, which has hampered crop growth, along with a very high amount of precipitation. This was particularly true in Ida-Viru County and southeastern Estonia. In order to be able to help these companies, we established this situation. It gives us a basis for applying to the European Commission’s agricultural reserves to compensate for those losses,” said Terras.
A similar measure has also been established in Latvia and Lithuania.
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