Title: Relaxed Concerns Regarding Foot-and-Mouth Disease
The impact of the recent livestock disease on German pig farmers isn't as severe as initially anticipated. Most of Germany's pork exports are within the EU and will continue uninterrupted with minimal restrictions. Regrettably, South Korea has become a significant market loss due to the disease outburst.
From the pig farmer's standpoint, the present condition of the German pig market, mainly affected by the African swine fever (ASF), isn't expected to undergo drastic changes. Klaus Kessing, an industry expert from the Interest Group of German Pig Farmers (ISN), stated, "While the ASF case in Brandenburg is undeniably disappointing, its overall impact on the pork trade is likely to be limited." The predominant reason being the high proportion of German pork exports within the EU, which can continue without substantial hurdles after the ASF detection due to regionalization agreements.
South Korea is reacting to the disease situation in Germany. For exports to non-EU nations, Kessing highlighted that previous ASF cases in Germany had previously include an export ban to significant customer nations like China, Japan, or the Philippines.
Prolonged Ban on Animal Transports
The prohibition on animal transportation in Brandenburg has been extended by 48 hours in response to the uncertain situation following the ASF outbreak. "Given the ASF outbreak, it's crucial to temporarily prohibit the transportation of susceptible animals and products derived from them to prevent further spread," explained the Ministry of Agriculture of the federal state in a press release. The initial emergency ordinance that expired at midnight on January 1st will be extended by 48 hours—until January 15th. This additional time is necessary to acquire all necessary test results to assess the disease situation. It was reported that no new cases have been reported so far.
Federal Minister of Agriculture Cem Özdemir endorsed this step, labeling it a necessary move. "The quicker we act at the onset of this disease, the sooner we can hopefully return to normalcy," Özdemir commented after a meeting with farmers in Stuttgart. He emphasized the uncertainty surrounding the epidemiological scenario. "At this stage, we still don't know whether the water buffalo operation in Brandenburg is an isolated case or if there are more operations at risk," Özdemir stated.
It is essential to note that the current restrictions on German pork exports are primarily due to the ongoing foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreak in Germany, not the African swine fever. The FMD outbreak has resulted in significant trade disruptions, including the suspension of pork imports from Germany by various countries, including South Korea.
The United States has also implemented import restrictions on German livestock and animal products, with exceptions granted for limited processed items. The disrupted ability to maintain FMD-free status, critical for international trade, has adversely impacted Germany's EU trade.
Despite these challenges, Germany remains the EU's second-largest pork producer, with production reaching 3.553 million metric tons in 2024, an increase of 2% year over year. In 2024, Germany exported approximately 1.277 million metric tons of pork, with 83% destined for EU nations, 6.5% intended for the UK, and 3.6% planned for South Korea.
The specific variant of the FMD virus involved in the outbreak has been identified by the Friedrich Loeffler Institute (FLI), enabling the rapid production of vaccines within a matter of days. Strict control measures, such as culling susceptible animals, establishing exclusion zones, and conducting investigations to determine the source and transmission route of the infection, have been implemented.
The extension of the ban on animal transports in Brandenburg is to prevent the further spread of African swine fever (ASF), as it poses a risk to susceptible animals and their derived products. Despite the recent ASF outbreak in Brandenburg, German pork exports within the EU are unlikely to be significantly impacted due to regionalization agreements.
Diseases like foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) have caused significant trade disruptions for Germany, leading to import restrictions from countries such as South Korea and the suspension of pork imports from Germany by various nations.
