From now on, farms in the FMD outbreak area near Hƶnow will be checked less frequently. The protection zone, which currently applies within a radius of 3 kilometers, is also being downgraded to a surveillance zone. According to the BMEL ministry, the transport of cloven-hoofed animals to or from the area remains prohibited.
The entire surveillance can be fully lifted at the earliest by the end of February. All areas outside the affected zone could regain FMD-free status by mid-April. That would mean that only then would there be no more restrictions on trade in those areas.
For the German agriculture and livestock sector, the loss of the FMD-free status comes with market disruptions and export bans. Federal Minister Cem Ćzdemir speaks of possible damages exceeding one hundred million euros for livestock farmers, dairy companies, and meat processors.
In the federal state of Brandenburg, there are currently about 50,000 slaughter pigs that may not be transported. That could cost 200,000 euros per week. The Berlin zoos were closed for 13 days and suffered damages of 150,000 euros per day.
In the EU's common market organization, there is the possibility of extraordinary aid measures in such situations. Several EU countries, including Germany and the Netherlands, have asked EU Commissioner Hansen to investigate such aid. This has also been done previously, for example with BSE or the Corona crisis.
Furthermore, German authorities last week confirmed that another wild boar infected with African Swine Fever was found in eastern Germany. Despite considerable efforts to combat ASF, a new infection was identified in the Bautzen district in the eastern state of Saxony, which borders the Czech Republic and Poland. This is the first infection in almost six months. The plan was to restore ASF-free status next month, but this can no longer proceed.
Additionally, Minister Cem Ćzdemir has encouraged livestock farmers, sheep breeders, and goat keepers to vaccinate their animals against the bluetongue virus (BTV 3). Vaccination is the best way to protect animals from diseases and thus effectively contributes to limiting the economic impact on agricultural businesses, he says.
Seasonally, mosquito activity, which transmits the virus, increases in spring along with the risk of BTV-3 outbreaks. Large-scale vaccination of susceptible animals with the currently available BTV-3 vaccines can remedy this situation. However, the vaccination rate among susceptible animals in Germany remains very low.