ASF cases rise in Finland, threaten pork exports

Finland plans to fence off parts of the African swine fever (ASF) restriction zone in its southeastern region, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Sari Essayah said, as confirmed infections among wild boars rose to 19.

The exact area to be fenced has yet to be determined, Essayah said on Wednesday (local time), adding that the work would be carried out in the coming months as part of efforts to contain the outbreak.

The Finnish Food Authority has established a restriction zone covering about 1,500 square km in southeastern Finland. The zone has been adjusted as more infections have been detected, reports Xinhua news agency.

The authority said 19 wild boars had tested positive for ASF as of Wednesday, while no infections have been detected in domestic pigs.

The outbreak was first detected in late July, when three dead wild boar piglets found in Vaalimaa, in the southeastern municipality of Virolahti near the Russian border, tested positive for the virus. Authorities then imposed restrictions in affected areas, including limits on the movement of pigs and bans on hunting and some forestry activities.

The outbreak has affected Finland's pork exports, as Finland had reported the cases to the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), losing its previous ASF-free status. Finnish media reported Wednesday that several countries had since restricted or suspended imports of Finnish pork.

Riitta Rahkila, an expert at the Finnish Food and Drink Industries' Federation (ETL), said ASF-free status had been an important advantage for Finnish pork in overseas markets. The country exported pork worth about 74 million euros (85 million US dollars) last year, according to ETL.

Sirpa Kiviruusu, director at the Finnish Food Authority, said Finland would need at least a year to regain its ASF-free status, while the duration of import restrictions would depend on individual trading partners.

The outbreak has also prompted calls for broader compensation. The Federation of Finnish Enterprises, which mainly represents small and medium-sized businesses, has urged the government to compensate not only pig farms but also other businesses suffering indirect losses, including those in the tourism sector, citing support provided during the Covid pandemic as a precedent.

The government has so far been reluctant to extend compensation beyond that required under animal health and food legislation.

ASF is a highly contagious viral disease affecting domestic pigs and wild boars. It is often fatal to infected animals but does not infect humans.

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