Job Losses and Uncertainty
According to the national agency ERR, the layoff process has already begun. Company board member Priit Dreimann explained that the future of the farm remains unclear, as the government has yet to propose any measures to support the sector. The issue of compensation for outbreak eradication and other programs is still unresolved:
“We are waiting for the government’s decision. For now, everything remains up in the air,” he emphasized.
At the farm, which housed around 50,000 pigs, the first cases were recorded on August 26. According to the notification sent to the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), the infection was confirmed after one pig died with typical ASF symptoms. In total, about 27,000 animals had to be culled.
ASF Spreads Across Europe
The situation in Estonia is part of a broader picture. According to the European Commission, between September 18 and 24 alone, 31 new ASF outbreaks were recorded in domestic pigs across Europe. The highest numbers were in Serbia (19 cases), Croatia (11), and Bosnia and Herzegovina (1).
In Estonia, the first case was recently detected in the eastern county of Jõgeva — one of the nation’s key pig-farming regions. In Romania, over the same period, authorities confirmed 24 additional outbreaks, including one large commercial farm with 5,600 pigs. Overall, since the beginning of the year, 13 EU member states and neighboring countries have reported 681 ASF outbreaks in domestic pigs, putting 2025 on track to nearly match last year’s totals.
The Wild Boar Threat
Experts highlight the growing danger posed by wild boar: since the beginning of the year, over 8,200 ASF cases have been confirmed in wild populations across 18 European countries. Poland, Germany, and Latvia are currently leading in case numbers.
Africa and Asia: Virus Keeps Spreading
The issue is global. In South Africa, new cases have been detected outside control zones, while in the Western Cape province the disease has caused mass pig deaths in encampments. On Madagascar, 230 ASF outbreaks were recorded in just the first half of the year. In India, new restrictions have been imposed in the states of Assam, Mizoram, and Punjab, where ASF has once again hit local farms.
Conclusion
The ASF situation highlights not only epizootic risks but also the social and economic consequences for entire regions — from mass layoffs to threats to food security. The Maag Agro case in Estonia is another alarm bell for governments: without systemic support, producers may lose the ability to recover, while the virus continues to spread across Europe and beyond.
PigUA.info based on materials from feedstrategy.com