Moldova lost a third of its pig population due to ASF

As of October 1, 2025, Moldova’s pig population stood at 296,000 animals. This is nearly 30% down from the same period the previous year, the Moldova National Statistical Bureau estimated.

The decline is primarily attributed to a series of African Swine Fever (ASF) outbreaks that have hit several industrial farms over the past year, Mir24, a local news outlet, reported, citing official figures.

In August alone, veterinary services culled 7,000 pigs at several farms affected by the virus. Since the beginning of 2025, pork production in Moldova dropped by 15% compared with the previous year, Mir24 said, without providing concrete figures.

According to the Moldovan Food Safety Agency, 18 ASF outbreaks were registered in the country between January 1 and October 1. ASF has also triggered an upward price rally on the domestic pork market. Currently, the average retail pork price ranges between MDL 95 and 120 (EUR 4.9 to EUR 6.2), compared to MDL 75 to 80 (EUR 3.8 to EUR 4.1) in June.

ASF outbreaks at industrial farms Golden Piglet and Porco Bello at the beginning of 2025 dealt a devastating blow to the pig and meat processing industry in Moldova, according to Evgeniy Salkutsan, chairman of the meat processors’ association.

These farms accounted for roughly 50% of the country’s industrial pig production. After they lost around 105,000 heads of pigs, the local meat processing industry found it difficult to maintain a sufficiently high capacity utilization ratio, Salkutsan admitted.

It is yet to be seen how soon the affected farms can restore operation. Salkutsan warned that implementing necessary sanitary measures at the affected facilities, importing piglets, and establishing new supply channels can take years.

To make up for the losses, Moldovan meat processing will likely have to resort to importing meat from the EU, in particular, Spain, Poland, and Romania.

Tags: Moldova, outbreaks, meat processing, pork, price, African Swine Fever, Pigs