Defra aims to protect pig sector from ASF and classical swine fever.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has announced new measures to ‘strengthen’ protections for the UK pig sector.

Its strategies for pig farmers and the pig industry have been developed, in collaboration with Scottish and Welsh governments, to improve preparedness against African Swine Fever (ASF) and classical swine fever.

ASF is a disease affecting pigs and wild boar. In recent years it has been circulating in parts of Asia and Africa, as well as parts of Europe, which has led to the deaths of millions of pigs worldwide.

Defra says that, while there has never been an outbreak of ASF in the UK, its updated control strategy will help the UK to prevent and respond to potential future outbreak.

As part of its revised strategy, Defra has announced a ‘flexible, risk-based framework’, designed to control disease effectively without imposing severe restrictions. Defra says the strategy reflects the latest scientific and veterinary evidence, as well as aligning with international best practice.

One of the central features of the update are its additional restricted zones – Restricted Zones 1, 2 and 3. These will be deployed depending on the situation, to help farmers avoid blanket movement restrictions on live pigs and pork products.

This measure is expected to reduce to reduce pressures caused by overcrowding, as well as enabling day-to-day operations to run more smoothly.

The duration of disease control zones has also been revised as part of the new strategy.

For example, the minimum period for a disease protection zone has now been reduced from 30-45 days to just 15 days. This is subject to cleansing, disinfection and surveillance outcomes.

The strategy will also heighten surveillance requirements. Veterinary inspectors will now conduct visits to premises to verify compliance, with enhanced testing to support the early detection of infection.

It is expected that these measures will lead to greater confidence in disease freedom, which could mean that restrictions would be lifted sooner.

Meanwhile, risk-based movement licensing has been expanded to support welfare and business continuity. With veterinary oversight, pig farmers will be able to move pigs with disease control zones for welfare reasons or to complete production cycles.

Further updates include a clearer framework on the national movement ban, greater flexibility on meat controls and more detailed guidance on cleansing and disinfection procedures.

Christine Middlemiss, the UK’s chief veterinary officer, said: “Enhanced surveillance and flexible movement licensing will help us detect disease earlier and protect our national herd whilst maintain essential farming operations in a biosecure manner.

“Whilst the disease is not present in Great Britain, we encourage all farmers to maintain strong biosecurity standards and familiarise themselves with the new measures.”

The full strategy can be read here.

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