France steps up African swine fever surveillance at German border

PARIS (Reuters) -France has increased its surveillance of African swine fever (ASF) along part of the border with Germany as the disease continues to spread among wild boar in much of Europe, the agriculture ministry said on Tuesday.

WHY IT IS IMPORTANT

The heightened surveillance comes as concerns grow about the potential introduction of the disease into France, which could have devastating effects on the country's pig farming industry and potentially disrupt food supply chains.

KEY QUOTE

"In view of the recent progression of ASF in wild boar in Germany, the ministry has raised the ASF surveillance ... in the departments of Bas-Rhin and Moselle," the agriculture ministry said in a statement, referring to two northeastern areas of France that border Germany.

CONTEXT

The virus, which is harmless to humans but deadly for pigs, has been spreading westwards in Europe in recent years, and cases have also been detected near France in Belgium and Italy.

The spread of the disease to Germany upended the country's large pig industry, with many overseas countries imposing bans.

ASF outbreaks have also hit Asian countries in recent years, causing huge losses to pig herds in China and Vietnam.

WHAT'S NEXT

The French farming ministry is examining the possibility of setting up fences along the German border to stop the disease, a tactic it previously used to prevent ASF spreading from Belgium.

Authorities are also in contact with local hunters to regulate wild boar populations, an approach also used in the southeast near Italy.

Farmer groups last week called on the authorities to establish wild boar-free zones near Germany such as those established along the Belgian border several years ago.

(Reporting by Sudip Kar-Gupta, Gus Trompiz and Tassilo Hummel; Editing by Andrew Heavens and Louise Heavens)