Thursday, October 3, 2013

Swine fever devastating Russian pork industry


African Swine Fever continues to advance through Russia and one of the government leaders thinks it might wipe out the industry.

Anton Karmazin, a leading Russian veterinarian, said things are going “from bad to worst” and that the Russian hog industry is on the verge of collapse.

"Due to the active spread of African Swine Fever and Russia's accession to the WTO (World Trade Organization), which has led to the serious decrease of all tariffs on pork import from abroad, pig production in the country is currently standing on the brink of catastrophe,"  he recently told a national conference.

He is head of veterinary services for Rosselkhoznadzor district and said every year the country recorded growth in the number of outbreaks of the virus which is increasing in a geometric progression.

"Infection covers new regions and the damage amounts to billions of rubles," he said.

According to Karmazin, to stop the spread of the African Swine Fever the country should change the legislative base of the veterinary system as well as the structure of the veterinary services.