Germany Finds Two More African Swine Fever Cases, One in New Area

Oct 01, 2020

Two more cases of African swine fever (ASF) have been confirmed in wild boars in the eastern German state of Brandenburg, with one found outside the area of the first discoveries, the federal agriculture ministry said on Wednesday. [Source: CGTN 30 Sept 2020]

One new discovery was confirmed in the Maerkisch-Oderland district in Brandenburg outside of the area close to the Polish border where the first cases were found, the ministry said. The second case was inside the original area, it added.

"The state of Brandenburg must now undertake an appropriate adaptation of the existing protection zones and protection measures to prevent a further expansion of the disease," the ministry said. The new discoveries bring total confirmed cases to 38 since the first on September 10. All were in wild animals with no farm pigs affected, the ministry said.

The Friedrich-Loeffler scientific institute confirmed the latest animals had ASF, the ministry said. More cases in wild boar have to be expected as the disease is highly infectious, it said.

The German government is considering aid to farmers after prices fell following the discovery of ASF in wild animals in the country, Germany's agriculture minister Julia Kloeckner said on Friday.

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Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.