Anna Hartz
Spain’s pork industry faces a new threat with the recent outbreak of African swine fever near Barcelona.
The disease has already forced authorities to quarantine 55 pig farms, reports El Economista. This comes at a critical time for Spain, the largest pork exporter in Europe and the second largest in the world. Pork is also a major customer for feed producers and a significant part of the veterinary sector.
44% of Spain’s Total Livestock Production
Last year, Spain’s pork industry generated 25 billion euros and employed over 415,000 people. It accounts for 44 percent of the country’s total livestock production. Exports play a key role. Spain earned 8.784 billion euros from pork exports in 2024.
Countries such as China, France, and Italy have kept buying, thanks to regionalization measures that limit trade restrictions to affected areas. But Japan and the Philippines have completely closed their markets.
Japan imported nearly 192,000 tons of Spanish pork last year, a value of 787 million euros. This was up 9 percent in volume and 22 percent in value. The Philippines received 186,000 tons, worth 317 million euros, with growth of almost 28 percent in volume and 16 percent in value.
A Threat to More than Pork Farms
The outbreak affects more than just pork farms. Feed producers and the veterinary industry are closely watching the situation. Spain’s feed industry made 18.4 million tons of pig feed in 2023, nearly half of all animal feed. This represented 5.336 billion euros in revenue, making Spain the top feed producer in Europe.
So far, there has been no significant drop in feed production. Most of the outbreak is in wild pigs, and the virus has not reached farms. Farms in nearby regions like Aragon and Valencia can take over production from affected areas. Regionalization measures allow exports to continue outside the quarantined zones.
The veterinary industry also worries about the disease’s impact on research and biosafety. Pork accounts for about a quarter of their domestic business. Companies are working on prevention and speeding up vaccine development.
Producers remain cautious. The national pig association reports that new infected wild pigs continue to appear. Authorities are trying to prevent the disease from reaching quarantined farms. Farmers worry about costs. With fewer pigs to sell and falling prices, they are facing economic pressure, even as authorities control the outbreak.
Source: El Economista
