ISN reports that the coordination talks between the various levels and authorities are extremely important. For coordinated and effective ASF control, they also call for the establishment of wildlife epidemic prevention societies in other federal states based on the model in NRW.

Green Week in Berlin brings together experts from a number of industries to discuss issues impacting food and farming and this year, African swine fever (ASF) was top of the agenda.

A high-level ministerial conference of the EU Commission took place on Friday (17 January), where the effects of ASF on global pig production and international trade were discussed. The day prior, the heads of office of the federal and state agricultural departments at the Agriculture Ministers' Conference (ACK) dealt with measures to be taken in the event of a possible ASF crisis.

Federal Minister of Agriculture Julia Klöckner emphasised the benefits of cross-border collaboration, particularly with Poland who have suffered a number of outbreaks close to the German border. Klöckner says this conversation should also continue on a national and international level.

Gisela Reetz, State Secretary for Agriculture in Saxony, spoke out in favour of nationwide procedures for paying compensation payments in the event of an ASF outbreak. She implored Government to act quickly to ensure support measures could be put in place for companies in affected areas.

ISN commented that the official exchange and coordination of preventive measures and the procedure in the event of an ASF crisis are essential and therefore extremely important. This is the only way that ASF crisis measures can be carried out quickly and effectively in an emergency.

In view of the enormous importance of an effective and coordinated approach in the ASF crisis case for pig farming in the past, we have repeatedly called for the establishment of wildlife epidemic prevention societies, as has already been installed in NRW. In the event of an ASF crisis, such a company can be used to organise fence construction, fence control and the search for wild boar carcasses from a single source using special materials and trained personnel. Other federal states should also follow this example as quickly as possible and adopt similar regulations.