According to Unió de Pagesos, throughout 2025 Catalan pig farmers earned on average about €20 per animal, but following the ASF confirmation the situation changed dramatically: the sector is now losing around €36 per pig. The union attributes this to lower domestic pork prices and, above all, the effective loss of part of the international markets, as exports are a key driver of the region’s agri-food sector.
Quarantine measures have added further pressure: more than 61,000 head in the province of Barcelona have been placed under restrictions, and international ASF protocols stipulate that a country may be considered “affected” until 12 months pass without any new cases. Rossend Saltiveri, head of the pig farming sector at Unió de Pagesos, said that operating at a loss for an extended period is unacceptable for producers, and that the sector will be forced to adapt to the new market conditions.
The union predicts this could lead to restructuring and a reduction in production in order to avoid prolonged losses. According to Saltiveri, the least efficient farms will likely be the first to reconsider their operations, as they will feel the financial pressure of shrinking margins most quickly.
The price situation has also deteriorated significantly. Unió de Pagesos reported that in 2025 pork prices at Mercolleida (Spain’s main wholesale pork market) were holding at around €1.80/kg, but after ASF was declared they dropped almost immediately to approximately €1/kg. In response, farmers are calling on public authorities to support the most affected farms and compensate losses caused by the animal health crisis.
At the same time, the union emphasizes that ASF in Catalonia has so far been detected only in wild boar, and no infections have been confirmed in domestic pigs on farms. In total, 60 positive cases have been confirmed in wild animals after the ministry reported an additional 13 infected boars. All positive findings, according to available information, were made within the 6-kilometer zone where the first two dead wild boars infected with the virus were found on November 28.
Beyond the outbreak “core,” the Catalan and Spanish authorities have established a second control area covering 91 municipalities within a 20-kilometer radius of the initial point. Within this zone, 57 pig farms are located out of more than 5,200 operating across Catalonia.
Following the suspension of exports, Spain has been forced to negotiate country by country to restore market access. Japan continues to ban imports of all Spanish pork, while the United Kingdom has restricted imports only from farms located within the 20-kilometer zone—using the same principle that automatically applies to trade within the EU. China, which remains the main export market for Catalan pork, agreed to limit imports from farms in the province of Barcelona, but even under these restrictions it remains Spain’s top customer, followed by France and Italy.
Unió de Pagesos notes that in order to regain a disease-free status, 12 months must pass from the last positive case, and even then there is no guarantee that lost markets can be quickly recovered. As sector representatives point out, it remains unclear whether customers will return to purchasing Catalan pork once restrictions are lifted—creating additional risks for the long-term stability of the industry.
PigUA.info, based on en.ara.cat