Coldiretti, the Italian trade association, has issued a warning regarding an outbreak of African swine fever (ASF) in Veneto, specifically within 80 kilometers of Verona and Rovigo, thereby jeopardizing the Italian pig supply chain. Northern Italy has, in recent months, become the epicenter of a significant veterinary crisis. While ASF poses no threat to human health, it presents a considerable danger to livestock and the agri-food sector. The virus’s capacity for transmission through wild fauna, particularly wild boars, has rendered containment efforts exceedingly challenging. From Liguria to Piedmont, and from Emilia Romagna to Lombardy, over 100,000 pigs have been culled in 2024 alone, notwithstanding the implementation of biosecurity measures. During a conference held at the Sona Service Center, experts expressed the hope that institutions will undertake more resolute action through the adoption of a more effective containment strategy capable of safeguarding those provinces in northern Italy that remain unaffected by the ASF threat.
April 14, 2025
