ASF Estonia: Recent outbreak wave costs 10% of its pigs

Estonia has been taking urgent steps to combat the worst epidemic of African Swine Fever (ASF) in years, which has incurred record losses to the pig industry.

Around 25,000 pigs, or 10% of the total population in Estonia, have died, directly or indirectly, as a result of a series of ASF outbreaks raging in the country over recent months. That news was shared by Hendrik Johannes Terras, Estonia’s minister of agriculture, during a government meeting on 14 August, as reported by local press.

More than €3 million has been spent on eliminating the direct consequences of the outbreaks, through the death toll could still rise. Terras said, “The country has a total of 283,000 pigs, and every single one of them is at risk of becoming infected.”

Kristen Michal, the country’s prime minister, had to postpone his vacation to deal with the crisis. He said the very future of livestock farming and national food security is at stake.

Exports are also expected to suffer. Official government data shows that in 2024, Estonia’s pig industry sold pork worth around €22 million to customers abroad.

In the past weeks, 8 pigs died on the farm under suspicious circumstances, but the follow-up investigation showed no signs of ASF. Raimo Heinam, the board’s CEO, said, “An ASF outbreak at Ekseko would be a serious blow to the company, which would take years to recover from.”

Tags: Pigs, pig industry, Estonia, outbreaks, African Swine Fever