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 Some 2,036 cases of the disease have been confirmed in wild boar
near the border with Poland, where the disease is widespread. Wild
animals crossing into Germany from Poland were behind an outbreak
last year.
China and many other pork buyers banned imports of German pork in
September 2020 after the first case was confirmed in wild boar,
causing a major loss of business for Germany.
"African swine fever is a problem for the whole of Germany and the
entire European Union," Wolfram Guenther, agriculture minister in
the eastern state government of Saxony, said after a meeting of
state and federal agriculture ministries about countering ASF.
"The fight against ASF is a real long-term challenge as we must
prevent or at least minimise the spread over a long border."
In July, the disease, which is lethal to pigs but harmless to humans
and for which there is no vaccine, was found in pigs on three east
German farms, complicating trade talks with pork importers including
China.
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 Germany's strategy to tackle
the disease includes building fences along the
Polish border to stop wild boar entering the
country, increasing hunting of wild animals and
stricter hygiene measures on farms. The disease
has so far been contained in border regions with
Poland.
"If the disease spreads further westwards, other
German states could become ASF regions, with all
consequences," said Guenther, who called for
more financial support from the EU and federal
government.
Uwe Feiler, the junior federal agriculture
minister, said Germany had unsuccessfully urged
Poland to build its own border fence.
(Reporting by Michael Hogan; Editing by Mike
Harrison)
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