The Croatian Agricultural Chamber (CAC) warned on Wednesday that domestic pig farming is on the verge of bankruptcy. African swine fever (ASF) threatens to completely wipe out the sector, they said, calling on the state to take direct control of disease suppression.
Producers are fighting for survival against import lobbies and losses, the Chamber said. The previous policy of voluntary culling of wild boars has, in their assessment, suffered a complete collapse.
"While farmers implement rigorous biosecurity measures, the 'biological bomb' – the uncontrolled wild boar population – continues to roam freely through the forests," said CAC President Željko Mihelić. He attributed this to partial interests and open obstruction by some hunting associations. The Ministry of Agriculture, he believes, has tolerated this obstruction for too long.
The Chamber points to the experiences of Denmark, Germany and Poland. There, ASF is not combated through recommendations but through decisive state control. In Denmark and Germany, hunters in crisis zones had their autonomy removed and professional teams were engaged. Poland imposed direct legal and financial responsibility on hunting associations for the spread of infection from their hunting grounds.
If hunting associations do not deliver results as mandated, the state is obliged to activate professional forces and specialised teams, the CAC said. If necessary, they added, logistical support from the military should also be deployed. They also called for wild boar to be reclassified from game to a biological hazard managed by the state.
Agriculture Minister David Vlajčić has their support only if he restores order, they stressed. "The Chamber has offered partnership so far, but a partnership without results is merely deception," the CAC said. They warned that responsibility for any potential destruction of the sector in that case would fall exclusively on the Ministry of Agriculture.
