The chief executive of the Meat Industry Association of Ukraine has written to Defra minister Baroness Hayman requesting the provision of African swine fever (ASF) testing kits, amid fears of a ‘rapid uncontrolled spread’ of the virus in the war-torn country.
In his letter, which also copies in the Association of Independent Meat Suppliers, Mykola Babenko warns there is a growing danger of spread in Ukraine beyond its current enzootic centres.
The association believes the greatest threat of the ‘uncontrolled transfer’ of ASF outside Ukraine is currently the high risk of virus-carrying pigs, which, according to the results of the official ante-slaughter inspection are not considered sick or suspicious, entering meat processing plants.
“This is due to the fact that in the current period of time there is a suspiciously rapid increase in cases of introduction of the pathogen into small-scale and industrial pig farms, aimed at maintaining the rear support of the troops and the population of Ukraine,” he said.
“Due to the growing mass of such outbreaks, pig farms, due to the threat of bankruptcy, massively hand over pigs for meat processing in an urgent manner. Therefore, long queues of carcass suppliers with veterinary certificates of dubious origin have formed in meat processing enterprises. Hence, there is a pressing need for additional targeted pre-slaughter control of the pig population on ASF.”
Cooperation
Since the start of the Russian war against Ukraine, AIMS has cooperated with the MIA and provided it with ‘very significant organizational and logistical support’, he added.
This has, for example, enabled MIA to launch a network for training pig farms and meat processing enterprises in the control of ASF, with up to 100 graduates of three-week courses already certified. They have begun to implement modern approaches to external and internal biosecurity of pig farms in relation to ASF
But Mr Babenko added: “Unfortunately, today we do not have means for pre-slaughter control of pigs for ASF in real time, on the basis of which we would be able to train relevant specialists to work directly in procurement offices and meat processing enterprises.”
In this ‘emergency situation regarding ASF against the background of the Russian intervention’, he appealed again to AIMS with a request for ‘urgent assistance’ in providing MIA members and CIAB experts with express tests for ASF virus to enable independent control of the situation at procurement and meat processing enterprises.
He said ASF tests produced by Abbexa from the UK have a very good reputation and accuracy, unlike some others.
“We are sure that this will help to stop the cross-border spread of ASF from Ukraine, which today can create an even greater burden for Europe, and therefore increase the biosecurity threats to the UK,” he told Baroness Hayman, whose roles include biosecurity and borders.
“I assure you that farmers and meat processing enterprises of Ukraine would be infinitely grateful to the UK for support in the purchase of ASF express tests.”
The letter was sent on Monday (August 19) and AIMS spokesman Tony Goodger said: “Given the severity of the situation in Ukraine, coupled with the economic impact of the war on their farming and meat processing industry, I do hope that they will be responsive given the relatively low cost verses the amount spent on aid to Ukraine to date.”