The Scottish Farmers Association calls for a ban on pork imports from ASF countries into the UK

In the United Kingdom, fear of the emergence of African swine fever (ASF) appears to be very high in the agricultural sector. The Scottish Farmers’ Federation (NFU) has now called on the government in London “urgently” to impose an immediate ban on pork imports from EU countries where cases of ASF have been recorded. In addition to Germany, Belgium is also explicitly mentioned, although the kingdom has long been officially free of ASF, as well as Romania and Poland.

So far there are no controls on pork imports into the European Union

In a letter to Agriculture Minister George Eustice, the NFU in Scotland urged “immediate action”. Otherwise there is a “high risk” of being introduced. Martin Kennedy, head of the NFU in Scotland, noted that there are no EU controls on pork imports into the UK. “While there is a grave danger to the biosecurity of our country, this cannot continue,” Kennedy said. According to him, ASP is rapidly spreading throughout Europe. The head of the association criticized that the government had not taken any preventive measures so far, fearing that it would violate the trade and cooperation agreements.

40% UK pork content

Kennedy said about 40% of the meat consumed in the UK is pork. According to preliminary data from the European Union Commission, between January and August 2021, about 113,000 tons of pork and slaughterhouse by-products were delivered to the Kingdom from Germany, and 64,210 tons from Poland. The total imports of the group, including live animals, amounted to 569,650 tons during the reporting period, of which pork and meat by-products were 566,380 tons.