Swine fever is alarming in Italy, after the cases found on wild boars in Piedmont and Liguria, as well as in Germany, Belgium and Eastern European countries, even if no case of contamination has been found in the Italian swine population. However, the Government is taking action by announcing refreshments for the tourism sector in the areas concerned and an inter-ministerial task force that will involve the ministries of Agriculture, Environment and Health and the regions concerned. Already yesterday a joint ordinance by the Ministers of Health Roberto Speranza and of Agricultural Policies Stefano Patuanelli arrived to stop the spread of the virus with the prohibition of all hunting activities, except for selective hunting of wild boar, in the infected area, identified in the Apennine area between the provinces of Alessandria and Genoa. "L'signed order was inevitable to reassure producers and exports. Now it is certainly necessary to think about refreshments for the tourism sector which could be affected by the bans in the areas concerned ", explained the Minister of Agriculture, Stefano Patuanelli.
There are also those who believe that an extraordinary commissioner is necessary "to quickly implement coordinated interventions between the various bodies involved, starting with the regions", explains Federico Fornaro, the leader of the LeU group in Montecitorio and a member of the Agriculture Commission. Because it is needed immediately, asks the president of Coldiretti Ettore Prandini, a synergistic action on several fronts. However, there remains "regret for an emergency that could, in all probability, have been avoided", affirms the president of Confagricoltura, Massimiliano Giansanti. Although there has not yet been any case of contamination in the Italian pig population, the cases found in recent days in some wild boars between Piedmont and Liguria have activated precautionary measures at the borders of China, Japan and Taiwan.Serbia and Vietnam, where a temporary stop was given to the import of made in Italy meats and cured meats, with disastrous forecasts on the sector: the Industrial Association of Meat and Sausages (Assica) estimates damage from non-exports of at least 20 million euros for each month of suspension of our exports. Meanwhile, Italian exports in the sector amount to around 1.5 billion euros a year, of which over 500 million are destined outside the borders of the European Union, according to Confagricoltura.Italian exports in the sector amounted to around 1.5 billion euros a year, of which over 500 million were destined outside the borders of the European Union, according to Confagricoltura.Italian exports in the sector amounted to around 1.5 billion euros a year, of which over 500 million were destined outside the borders of the European Union, according to Confagricoltura.
For the export front, however, the Farnesina was involved: "We asked the Foreign Ministry to prepare - said the undersecretary for agriculture Gian Marco Centinaio in announcing the establishment of a ministerial task force - because, when the same happened what in Germany, Merkel had immediately intervened with all the German meat importing countries, reassuring them. So we will ask the Foreign Minister on the one hand and the Prime Minister on the one hand ". But there is no tranquility in the municipalities and regions included in the area where the outbreak was ascertained: 114 Municipalities of which 78 in Piedmont and 36 in Liguria, after the cases recently found. So far they have been taken to the Zooprophylactic Institute of Piedmont, Liguria and Valle d 'Aosta about twenty samples of wild boars that died in the area. And there has been official confirmation of the positivity for three cases, but there would be another 4 suspected after the withdrawals from the carcasses of wild boar found dead between Piedmont and Liguria.
The Liguria region has asked for a monitoring table to be activated in a very short time with the Regions concerned to develop estimates of lost income and to arrange support for the sectors damaged by the swine fever provision.
Here the limitations imposed by the ordinance prohibit hunting, fishing, trekking, mountain biking, hunting for mushrooms and truffles in the territories included in the red zone for 6 months.
"Surely there is a health problem and it cannot be underestimated but neither can everything be blocked", comments the mayor of Genoa Marco Bucci.
There is also high attention in Tuscany, where the Region has activated the health crisis unit.
