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Board member Priit Dreimann explained that the future of both the farm and the entire sector remains uncertain, as the process of handling the outbreak has been delayed by a lack of government decisions:
“We still don’t know how to move forward because the state has not decided on compensation or other support measures. At the moment, everything remains uncertain,” Dreimann said.
He also did not rule out further job cuts, stressing that the situation changes daily.
As a result of the outbreak at Ekseko, about 27,000 pigs had to be culled. Since the start of this summer’s epidemic, ASF has hit 11 farms in Estonia, and as of September 18, 56,000 domestic pigs have been declared infected, either already slaughtered or awaiting culling.
The spread of the virus further north is a particular concern. According to Dreimann, the latest cases were detected near Jõgeva, effectively in central Estonia, where much of the country’s pig farming is concentrated:
“It’s unrealistic to hope the disease will subside in the fall. The wild boar population in the forests remains far too high.”
Maag Agro representatives acknowledge that the pig-farming sector feels abandoned, with no clear signals from the state regarding long-term strategies to contain the epidemic. Farmers are calling for more decisive action to reduce the wild boar population and strengthen biosecurity measures.
The uncertainty around compensation, job losses, and the looming risk of ASF spreading further pose serious challenges to the entire sector, which has already suffered significant economic damage.
Source: PigUA.info via news.err.ee