Name: Spain: Swine fever outbreak forces mass cullings
Uploaded: 2026-01-20T16:19:42.763Z
Duration: 4 min 23 s
Description: After a livestock producer reported cases of a highly contagious animal disease, farmers are wary of it spreading - with plans to cull around 80,000 pigs.

After a livestock producer reported cases of a highly contagious animal disease, farmers are wary of it spreading - with plans to cull around 80,000 pigs.

Serra de Collserola

An outbreak of African swine fever has struck Catalonia, Spain, prompting authorities to close affected areas, implement biosecurity measures, and cull infected animals. This is the country's first outbreak of the disease in 30 years and has led to a sharp decline in pork prices, job losses, and export bans.

The disease, which is highly contagious and fatal to pigs, has not yet spread far from the initial infection zone near Barcelona. Investigations are ongoing into the source of the outbreak, including possible links to a local laboratory. Despite the crisis, consumer demand for pork products, including Iberico ham, remains stable.

Spain: Swine fever outbreak forces mass cullings

Catalonia, in Spain, is home to as many pigs as people, around 8 million. Pig farms feature prominently on the region's landscape, as does the smell. No surprise, then, that news of a swine fever outbreak caused panic. We were hit hard. No other news has caused so much concern in recent years. The park where the infected wild boars appeared is now out of bounds. Authorities searched for further animals from the air, and with dogs. Newly erected fences and closed-off wildlife bridges and crossings aim to curb animal movement, and incoming vehicles have been disinfected. Spain's first African swine fever outbreak in 30 years has financial implications. For the first time ever, we've exceeded our fluctuation range for the price of pork. Normally, it's a maximum of 6 cents per kilo. We've reduced it by 10 cents. This is where Spain's major pork processors set prices. Since the outbreak, they've dropped by 20%. Rosent Sativeri is one of many farmers feeling the impact. And that's despite his farm being located more than 100 kilometers from where the infected wild boars were found. At the moment, we're suffering significant additional losses due to this disease, so the impact is huge. It's especially hard because the sector itself is not responsible for what's happened. It's affecting jobs, too. According to media reports, 300 temporary workers at one of Spain's largest pork processing plants were laid off in December. The reason? An export ban. They couldn't deliver the meat that was intended for third countries. The freezers were filling up, so they'd likely have to reduce slaughtering, simply because there was nowhere to put the meat. We head to Marisa Viola's fattening farm, which she runs with her son Alex. Our request to take a peek inside the pig sheds was turned down. You in there? No. Why not? Biosecurity. Instead, Alex takes my camera in with him and reveals how things look across many of the region's 2,000-plus pig farms. Pork production makes up 10% of the region's economic output, and that doesn't include suppliers like feed producers. This is a multibillion-euro business, and one that's been knocked sideways by a virus. African swine fever is a highly contagious disease that has devastating consequences and currently no vaccine. It is 100% fatal. There are still many unanswered questions about how African swine fever entered Spain. Fortunately, it doesn't seem as aggressive here as it has been elsewhere. So far, wild boars have not spread it far from the infection zone near Barcelona. Some people believe that the virus originated in this laboratory in the infection zone. The virus originated in this laboratory in the infection zone. Police have conducted searches and scientists from outside Spain are investigating. Crucially for the sector, so far at least, consumers don't seem to have been put off. Some customers have asked. But the slaughterhouses that supply us do comprehensive checks, so there's no problem. And there are even fewer concerns when it comes to the famous Iberico ham. For one, it comes from a completely different part of Spain. Plus... Our ham is made from our Iberian pigs. These are products that have been in dry storage for years. With a bit of luck, Spain will recover quickly from the outbreak. Nonetheless, recent weeks have highlighted the vulnerability of Europe's largest pork industry. Europe's largest pork industry to a sudden and disruptive crisis.

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