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Potsdam (dpa / bb) - In view of the African swine fever (ASP), Brandenburg's Agriculture Minister Axel Vogel (Greens) wants to ensure that pigs from Brandenburg can also be brought to Polish slaughterhouses.
In a letter, Vogel asked Federal Agriculture Minister Julia Klöckner (CDU) to lobby the EU for special permits, the Potsdam agricultural department announced on Monday.
Because according to the swine fever regulation, the transport of domestic pigs across the borders of the EU member states is forbidden when ASF outbreaks.
"This restriction certainly makes sense if there are areas between the restricted areas without disease burden," explained Vogel. But this is not the case between Brandenburg and Poland. "Due to their geographical location, our companies sometimes have close supply relationships with slaughterhouses in western Poland and would like to supply them." Vogel also called for funding concepts for farms that would have to temporarily or partially abandon pig farming because of the epidemic.
The state farmers' association (LBV) supported the minister's initiative.
"For reasons of animal welfare, shorter transport routes are to be preferred in any case," said his President Henrik Wendorff on Monday.
Currently, only one slaughterhouse in Germany processes pigs from ASP areas, although they have been proven to be healthy.
"In principle, being able to choose between different customers is better than having to rely on just one, as is currently the case," emphasized Wendorff.
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Information on African swine fever