LONDON (Reuters) -Britain said on Friday it would temporarily stop imports of pork meat from parts of Spain after the country confirmed its first cases of African swine fever in just over three decades.
Britain is one of Spain's main customers for pork, and the move comes as authorities in Madrid activated emergency measures in Catalonia, a region central to pig farming.
"Following an outbreak of African Swine Fever in Spain, all fresh pork and other affected products from Spain will be held at Border Control Posts until further notice," Britain's environment department (DEFRA) said in a statement.
"We will continue to monitor the situation and keep all measures under review," it added.
Spain exported 37,600 metric tons of fresh and frozen pork to Britain so far in 2025, worth over 112 million euros ($129.93 million), up 17% in volume and 9.5% in value compared with all of 2024, according to data from the government-backed body the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board.
The virus is a highly contagious disease that affects pigs and wild boar but poses no risk to humans. It has no vaccine or cure and often leads to mass culling when detected in farmed herds.
The disease has spread westwards in Europe in recent years, disrupting pork markets and prompting trade bans. Germany's outbreak in 2020 led to sweeping restrictions from major buyers such as China, while Croatia has battled infections in recent months.
Spain, the European Union's top pork producer, has so far avoided the virus in domestic pigs since 1994, making the latest detection in wild boar near Barcelona a significant concern for its 8-billion-euro ($9.28 billion) pork industry and export markets.
Britain's government earlier this year banned personal imports of ham and other meat and dairy products from all EU countries to prevent the spread of foot-and-mouth disease, following a rising number of cases.
($1 = 0.8620 euros)
(Reporting by Disha Mishra, Kanjyik Ghosh in Bengaluru and Sam Tabahriti in London; Editing by Chris Reese)
LATEST POSTS
- 1
More than half way to the moon, the Artemis II astronauts are grappling with a toilet problem - 2Vote In favor of Feasible Way You Prescribe to Shop for Garments
- 3Most loved VR Game for Wellness: Which Keeps You Dynamic?
- 4This ‘CSI: Miami’ star spent years solving crimes on TV. Then she became the target of one herself.
- 5Vote In favor of Your Favored Language Learning Applications
- NASA set to launch Artemis 2 moon mission today, the 1st crewed lunar flight since 1972
- NASA astronauts to return from space early due to an 'unexpected medical issue.' What happened — and when are they coming home?
- The Way to Business: Startup Illustrations Learned
- Polar bears are rewiring their own genetics to survive a warming climate
- Ringleader of suspected human trafficking network arrested in Ethiopia
- 2026 will be the year NASA astronauts fly around the moon again — if all goes to plan
- A Couple of Modest Guitars for 2024
- Remain Cool and Solid: Top Summer Food sources for 2024
- Doctor's orders: Eat ice cream, and other tips for a long and healthy life
