African Swine Fever: Price of pork in Bulgaria rises sharply
The price of pork in Bulgaria has increased by 19 stotinki a kilogram at bulk prices in just a week, according to the state commodity exchange agency, a fact that the country’s pig breeding industry links in part to the outbreaks of African Swine Fever.
The average price for a kilogram of pork is 7.60 leva, seven stotinki higher than at the same time last year.
Bulgarian National Television reported that the country’s pork industry believed that the trend of increasing prices would continue and would be felt by consumers.
Large farms felt at risk of bankrupcty and many people were worried that they would lose their jobs, the report said.
According to the industry, in some areas local government had hindered the implementation of measures to prevent the spread of African Swine Fever.
Pork is the most widely-produced and consumed meat in Bulgaria, and accounts for about 80 per cent of the country’s total meat production.
Representatives of the emergency veterinary team of the European Commission were scheduled to be in Bulgaria from July 23 to 25 to assess the situation of the spread of African Swine Fever in domestic and wild pigs in the country.
Tsvetan Iliev, a representative of the Association of Industrial Pig Breeders in Bulgaria, told Bulgarian National Television on July 23 that Bulgaria was not an isolated market.
African Swine Fever had been spreading on a large scale in China and all of South East Asia, Iliev said. Pork prices had increased by 30 to 35 per cent, and the problem was not going away, he said.
(Photo: Richard New Forest)
