African swine fever continues to cause problems in Estonia

African swine fever continues to cause problems in Estonia. Photo: Merily Smidt

At a meeting of stakeholders affected by African swine fever (ASF) at the Estonian Regional and Agriculture Ministry, participants noted that despite extensive efforts to limit the spread of the disease and periods without detected cases, ASF-positive wild boars continue to emerge in Estonia.

«The numbers indicate that the virus has become more dangerous and is spreading effectively due to the increase in the wild boar population. We can say that we are approaching a peak, which means that pig farmers are once again facing a challenging time,» said Urmas Kirtsi, director general of the Agriculture and Food Board.

No region in Estonia, except the Hiiumaa island, is likely to be unaffected by ASF. The most problematic areas are the border counties -- Põlva, Võru, and Valga.

«Thanks to the diligent work of Estonian hunters, we have kept the situation under control, but animals do not recognize borders, which is why new outbreaks often occur in border areas. Unfortunately, the efforts of Latvia and Russia in controlling the disease are not as effective as ours,» Kirtsi added.

Hunters emphasized the need to find ways to motivate more wild boar hunting, especially in high-risk areas and around pig farms.

«Currently, wild boar meat can only be marketed if it has been heat-treated, but there is little demand for this in the market. Hunters cannot endlessly produce and consume wild boar preserves and sausages, but there is a justified expectation for us to hunt even more wild boars as it is an effective way to combat the disease,» said Margus Puust, president of the Estonian Hunters' Society. «Certainly, the use of night vision equipment would help increase and make wild boar hunting more effective,» he added.

Pig farmers propose public procurement as a solution.

«The state could buy wild boar meat preserves and add them to crisis food reserves. This would provide a sensible outlet for all the meat hunted by hunters. While we have learned to live with ASF, we should ultimately aim to get rid of it,» said Priit Dreimann, director of primary production and animal procurement at Rakvere Farmid.

Regional and Agriculture Minister Piret Hartman commended and thanked the parties for their successful cooperation so far and assured that the proposals made would be further analyzed.

«The Defense Ministry could also be interested in procuring wild boar meat preserves. In addition to replenishing state reserves, cooperation with them on this issue might be possible,» she said.

Over nine years, ASF has led to the culling of 55,000 domestic pigs in 30 outbreaks, causing economic losses exceeding 11 million euros. Currently, there are approximately 300,000 pigs in 110 pig farms in Estonia.