Wild boars in Ukraine test positive for ASF

The veterinary authority in Ukraine has reported to the the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) that two wild boars have tested positive for African swine fever (ASF).
The boar carcasses were found by a gamekeeper in the Zhydenske forest, forest in the province of Rovno in the north-west of the country, bordering Belarus. 
The carcasses were located 4 kilometers from the national boundary of Ukraine with Belarus and 5 kilometers from the nearest village, Zhaden.
The following measures have been imposed: control of wildlife reservoirs, quarantine, movement controls inside the country, screening, zoning and disinfection/disinfestation. There will be no vaccination or treatment of animals found to be affected.
OIE will submit follow-up reports on the case until it considers it to be resolved.
The most recent discovery of ASF in the Ukraine follows an earlier confirmed case of ASF, also near the Belarusian border. In that case, three dead wild boars were discovered on May 5 in territory of the state wildlife reserve.  One of the three boars tested positive for ASF, while the other two carcasses were not tested because they were in an advanced state of decomposition.
In addition to the Ukraine, numerous countries within the Baltic region and other parts of the world have reported cases of the disease. Other countries to be affected in recent months include: Russia, Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Cabo Verde.

PED virus discovered at sow unit in Ukraine

Porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) virus has spread to Europe, with the virus being discovered in the Ukraine. It was discovered in mid-Ukraine by internationally-known British vet Dr John Carr, who has now had the strain sequenced in Britain to confirm his suspicion that it is the virulent Asian-American strain, and not the European strain.
Dr. Carr cites a well-run commercial 5,000-sow unit in Ukraine where 
30,000 piglets died over a matter of weeks, equivalent to the loss of six weaned pigs per sow per year. He warns that with such high mortality, it is essential to be concerned for the mental health of all stockpeople when a unit breaks down with Asian-American PED virus.
The disease is extremely infectious — a thimbleful of manure from an infected pig unit is sufficient to infect the entire British pig population.
It is impossible to guarantee Asian-American PED virus will not arrive in Britain on a traveller’s shoes or clothes, or on the wheels of a lorry, says the National Pig Association. Therefore all pig-keepers must consider themselves personally responsible for ensuring it does not get onto their own farm.
Producers should pay special attention to vehicle biosecurity. In particular no pig lorry should be allowed onto any pig farm unless it has previously been thoroughly cleaned and disinfected, says NPA.
Carr’s worry now is that the highly-infectious disease could easily spread to the European Union. He stresses it is essential that no live pigs are imported into the United Kingdom from countries with PED virus and he warns that all pig producers should introduce impeccable transport biosecurity routines.
The European Food Safety Authority has confirmed the disease has no zoonotic capacity and is therefore harmless to humans. But in the United States it has wiped out over a tenth of the pig population in the past two years, causing up to 100 percent mortality in piglets on infected pig farms.
However, the Canadian pig industry has demonstrated it is possible to control the spread of PED virus if the disease is identified quickly and no movements on or off the infected unit are allowed by the farmer concerned. Working on the Canadian model of early identification and total industry cooperation, the English Pig Health and Welfare Council has been formulating a contingency plan since April and this is due to be rolled out soon.
Meanwhile, the statutory pig levy paid by English pig-keepers is funding free testing of diarrhoea samples at government animal health laboratories, to help ensure the disease is picked up promptly if it arrives on a British pig farm.

RA-SE Genetics announces new nucleus pig farm in Ukraine

The pigs shipped to Ukraine will be part of a 600, pure-line GGP population.

In August, RA-SE Genetics delivered breeding pigs from Rattlerow Farms in the United Kingdom to ELITA's nucleus farm in Ukraine. A second delivery is planned for September to complete the population of 600 pure line great-grandprogeny (GGP) sows and boars. ELITA is currently a distributor of RA-SE Genetics in Ukraine.
Since 2004, RA-SE Genetics has been active in the Ukrainian market as a supplier of pig genetics. The company regularly exports breeding animals from RA-SE Genetics farms and partners in France, Belgium and the United Kingdom.
The project will use a genetic match program to guarantee up-to-date genetic progress. The breeding stock produced from the nucleus will be marketed in the growing Ukrainian pig production sector. Pure line GGP stock will be replaced by animals produced from imported frozen semen from RA-SE Genetics. Ukrainian and Belgian veterinary authorities are working on a bilateral agreement for the importation of deep-frozen pig semen from Belgium. The first export of deep-frozen semen to Ukraine is planned for the end of 2013.

Animal Farming Ukraine to highlight poultry, pig, cattle farming

Animal Farming Ukraine 2012 will present the entire range of products in the field of animal farming and directly related businesses as the first exhibition in the country dedicated exclusively to animal farming.
The convention will focus on poultry farming, pig breeding and cattle farming; and such topics as the dairy business, efficient breeding, quail and technologies in pig farming. The event, which will be held from October 31 through November 2, is expected to draw in more than 175 exhibitors from more than 15 countries around the world to the International Exhibition Centre in Kiev, Ukraine. The event in 2011 had nearly 6,000 attendees.

Ukraine pork exports rise in 2011

Pork exports in Ukraine were up for the first quarter of 2011.

Ukrainian pork exports have shown a sharp rise in 2011, with the first quarter reaching 4.3 thousand metric tons exported, mostly to Russia.
Exports increased largely because the domestic market couldn't absorb an increase in production in 2010, according to A. Yaroslavsky, deputy director general of the Ukrainian Agrarian Confederation. "Purchase prices for hogs fell and companies engaged in growing pigs in 2010 were losses," said Yaroslavsky. "The level of profitability of their activities amounted to -7.4%. In this situation, the only salvation for the industry was increasing exports."
In January through March 2011, pork imports decreased by 50% compared to the same period last year. At the same time, there was a 12% increase in the import of by-products, indicating an increase in demand from refineries for low-grade, relatively cheap raw materials.
Ukrainian pork exports have shown a sharp rise in 2011, with the first quarter reaching 4.3 thousand metric tons exported, mostly to Russia.
Exports increased largely because the domestic market couldn't absorb an increase in production in 2010, according to A. Yaroslavsky, deputy director general of the Ukrainian Agrarian Confederation. "Purchase prices for hogs fell and companies engaged in growing pigs in 2010 were losses," said Yaroslavsky. "The level of profitability of their activities amounted to -7.4%. In this situation, the only salvation for the industry was increasing exports."
In January through March 2011, pork imports decreased by 50% compared to the same period last year. At the same time, there was a 12% increase in the import of by-products, indicating an increase in demand from refineries for low-grade, relatively cheap raw materials.
Ukrainian pork exports have shown a sharp rise in 2011, with the first quarter reaching 4.3 thousand metric tons exported, mostly to Russia.
Exports increased largely because the domestic market couldn't absorb an increase in production in 2010, according to A. Yaroslavsky, deputy director general of the Ukrainian Agrarian Confederation. "Purchase prices for hogs fell and companies engaged in growing pigs in 2010 were losses," said Yaroslavsky. "The level of profitability of their activities amounted to -7.4%. In this situation, the only salvation for the industry was increasing exports."
In January through March 2011, pork imports decreased by 50% compared to the same period last year. At the same time, there was a 12% increase in the import of by-products, indicating an increase in demand from refineries for low-grade, relatively cheap raw materials.

Ukraine processed pork production down in 2009

Ukraine's fresh or chilled pork production of 97,500 tons in 2009 was significantly lower than the 126,200 tons produced the previous year. Frozen pork production was also lower at 5,100 tons, compared with 13,200 tons in 2008, according to Ukraine's State Statistics Committee.

Ukraine pig count increases in 2009

Ukraine's pig industry recorded 7.14 million pigs on January 1 this year, a large increase of 9.3% from January 1, 2009, according to preliminary figures from Ukraine's State Statistics Committee. The highest number of pigs at the beginning of 2010 was recorded in the Dnipropetrovsk oblast, totaling 507,000. Of the 24 oblasts and one autonomous republic in the country, all but one had more pigs on January 1 this year than at the start of 2009.