Agriculture, Estonia, Legislation, Lithuania, Markets and Companies

Estonian biggest pig farming company Rakvere Farmid AS (former name Ekseko) production director Mati Tuvi has been observing for several years on the Russian Veterinary Service homepage how the African plague is getting nearer from the Black Sea area to the Baltic States. The very serious disease that kills infected animals quickly spreads at the average rate of 300 km a year.

"On Friday when the information came, we informed immediately all our farms and cooperation partners. People have been warned and it has been stressed that absolutely all bio-safety measures have to be followed. It concerns especially transport that services farms since transport is one possible source of infection as it passes long distances and visits different farms," said Tuvi.

Rakvere Farmid owns 40% of Estonian pig-farming – 25 farm complexes across the country produce 250,000 pigs a year for the Rakvere Lihakombinaat meat industry.

"Currently we observe what happens in Lithuania and where the plague moves to. If the next location of the plague is discovered much closer to us, we will resort to extremely serious measures, one of the most important will be disinfecting all transport servicing farms," said Tuvi.

No live animals are brought to Rakvere Farmid from outside and fodder is also thoroughly studied – while some components of it come from Lithuania, they come from Klaipeda which is far from where the plague was found.