The Association of Independent Meat Suppliers (AIMS) along with Mykola Babenko, CEO of the Meat Industry Association (MIA) in Ukraine, has called on Baroness Hayman to provide the Ukrainian pig industry with Government funding.
According to reports from the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), there have been outbreaks of African Swine Fever (ASF) in domestic pigs in Ukraine, as well as several other European countries.
The £71,100 in funding requested by AIMS would provide the Ukrainian pig industry with 10,000 ASF rapid virus test kits.
In an email to Baroness Hayman, Tony Goodger of AIMS highlighted the trade body’s work with the MIA to provide support during the Russia-Ukraine conflict, which includes providing free veterinary advice, attending two national conferences in Kyiv and hosting a visit to the UK.
Goodger said: “As you can imagine, ASF in Ukraine could easily spread across borders and place a greater burden on mainland Europe, which in turn could leave us susceptible to the disease’s entry to the UK.
“I accept that £71,100 of UK Government support for the Ukrianian pig industry is a big ask however it is always important to remember that feeding the Ukrainian Army is every bit as important as arming them and, furthermore, when peace comes, the country’s agricultural infrastructure will be essential to rebuilding their economy.”
Mykola Babenko, CEO of MIA, said: “The situation with ASF in Ukraine is unbearably difficult, because the war minimises the impact of [our] veterinary services and [the] effectiveness of biosecurity measures [on] pig farms in the field, due to lack of resources and specialists.
“Lack of resources, spontaneous movement of livestock and contaminated objects of the environment through zones conflict dramatically increase the spread of the pathogen, so traditional measures of “stamping-out” are inferior and therefore almost ineffective.
“Pig farming within Ukraine is in economic decline, without exaggeration.”
Babenko drew attention to farmers’ fears of losing investment, which he said may lead to farmers covering up outbreaks with “frightening consequences”. Due to a lack of resources, he said, farmers who are trying to protect their herds through “direct and gross violation of veterinary requirements” will be endangering their livelihoods.
He continued: “The ongoing outbreak of ASF in Ukraine poses a serious danger to the UK as the disease can spread through trade, the movement of goods and the unpredictability of Russia’s actions. The situation requires a special vigilance, as an outbreak in the UK could have catastrophic consequences for the UK pig industry.
“We call on the UK Government to strengthen biosecurity measures and strengthen monitoring at ports of entry and in Ukraine.”
AIMS and MIA now await a response from Defra regarding their request for support.
