Required Report - public distribution

**Date:** 8/29/2006

**GAIN Report Number:** BU6006

BU6006

**Bulgaria**

**Livestock and Products**

**Classical Swine Fever Outbreak and Pork Market Effect**

**2006**

**Approved by:**

![](media/image1.wmf)Susan Reid

U.S. Embassy

**Prepared by:**

Mila Boshnakova

**Report Highlights:**

In August, Bulgaria officially announced its third classical swine fever
outbreak. The upcoming EU animal health inspections may challenge
Bulgarian vaccination practices with possible negative consequences for
the sector. Although the MinAg is committed to eradicating classical
swine fever in Bulgaria, the industry needs to make a more serious
effort to address EU structural and health requirements.

Includes PSD Changes: No

Includes Trade Matrix: No

Unscheduled Report

Sofia \[BU1\]

\[BU\]

#  

[The outbreak 3](#the-outbreak)

[Background 3](#background)

[Industry response 3](#industry-response)

[Government policy 4](#government-policy)

[Ambiguous future for the pork industry
4](#ambiguous-future-for-the-pork-industry)

#   {#section-1 .unnumbered}

# The outbreak

On August 3, Bulgaria officially announced its third Classical Swine
Fever (CSF) outbreak. The outbreak is located in Kamenar village,
Pomorie area, close to the Black Sea port of Bourgas, Southeast
Bulgaria. The disease was identified at a small commercial pig farm.

The National Reference Veterinary Lab tests confirmed the presence of
CSF on August 2.

Total 85 sick and contact pigs from the farm and from two neighboring
yards were culled. All pigs in the 3 km and 10 km radius zones around
the outbreak were sample tested.

The regional veterinary office in Bourgas issued a livestock (live pigs)
movement ban providing an exception only for those animals destined for
slaughter if prior clinical tests were negative. Disinfection of the
outbreak area followed after the culling according to the National CSF
Surveillance program.

This CSF outbreak is the third since the beginning of the year. The
previous two outbreaks were in Malko Sharkovo, Yambol area, and in
Elhovo area, both located not far from this third outbreak (all in
Bourgas region). In total about 300 pigs were culled. Farmers were
compensated at 3.25 leva/kilo (\$2.16/kilo) live weight.

# Background 

Bulgaria was required to stop vaccination against CSF to meet EU animal
health requirements. Thus, the country switched to marker vaccination
over the last 4 months of 2005, and completely stopped vaccination as of
January 2006. However, the lack of professional dialogue on this issue
between the government veterinary service and the industry has resulted
in violations of major laws and EU-harmonized regulations.

# Industry response

The pork industry continues to protest termination of vaccination as a
premature policy. Since CSF is a serious and traditional problem not
only in Bulgaria but also in the region (Romania as of today has
hundreds of outbreaks), the local industry considers the eradication
program as unrealistic and harmful to the industry. According to the
pork farmers, the government veterinary system is not capable of coping
with the most challenging issues such as to vaccinate and control
movement of wild boar population, to stringently control illegal live
pig trade, to liquidate non-registered small size pork farms and
slaughterhouses, and to implement active CSF surveillance program. Most
industry sources consider the veterinary system as inefficient, and of
weak administrative and professional capacity.

Attracted by high pork prices, good consumer demand on the EU market,
and by a long-standing local meat deficit, many pork farms invested in
imported pig breeds in 2005 in preparation to grow pigs and export pork
for the EU-15 market by 2007. At the same time, however, fearing
inevitable CSF outbreaks (and destruction of sick and contacted
animals), many farms illegally vaccinated swine in 2006.

Bulgaria still produces a vaccine against CSF at a research institute in
Vratza and exports it to Macedonia. Allegedly, some of these exports
were, in fact, destined for the local market. Local experts talk not
only about a black market for vaccines but also about a market for
negative CSF samples at about \$2.0 per a sample. This information has
been confirmed unofficially by industry sources and media. Experts say,
EU veterinary officials are informed about this illegal practice.

# Government policy

The Bulgarian Veterinary Service is trying to demonstrate serious
concern towards CSF, and to undertake all possible measures given its
limited resources. The CVO has warned the Association of Pork Producers
to immediately cease illegal vaccination. Warnings also included
liquidation of vaccinated pigs and lack of financial compensation to
farmers.

In a recent ordinance, the Vet Service called for destruction of all
pigs being raised illegally on the outskirts of villages and towns in
rural areas which are not legally registered, not subject of regular
veterinary control, and carry a high risk for CSF. Special measures are
also undertaken regarding the local garbage depots, also often carrying
CSF risks. The above regulations are to be implemented by the veterinary
officers in cooperation with local mayors and authorities.

In mid-2006 (July), the GOB passed a regulation for compensation of
farmers in case of infectious animal diseases. According to this
regulation, only legally registered farmers who have been applying the
necessary measures under the mandatory surveillance programs and have
identified and registered livestock, will be able to receive such
compensation. The compensation will be based on the average market
prices for the month preceding the culling of animals. Although this
regulation is a major step ahead in the area of animal health
prevention, it does not address the highest risk factor, i.e. the large
number of small, non-registered, backyard, semi-subsistence livestock
farms where the animal health and biosecurity issues are of serious
concern.

# Ambiguous future for the pork industry

Bulgaria expects an in-depth EU inspection on animal health issues in
the fall of 2006. Reportedly, the emphasis will be given to CSF, Avian
influenza, BSE, and TSE .

The country has already been given a "red flag" in the area of
destruction of animal waste (and especially the BSE surveillance
program) due to lack of sufficient and well functioning incinerators.

The pessimistic scenario regarding the CSF decisions includes possible
ban on pork exports to the EU (in the past, Bulgaria was not able to
export pork to the EU due the CSF mandatory vaccination); and/or
continuation of mandatory vaccination for another year or two; and/or
eventual ban on trade in Bulgarian origin pork on the EU market. Thus,
if Bulgaria becomes a full EU member on January 1, 2007, local farms
will not be able to sell pork even on the local Bulgarian market. The
optimistic option is for the Bulgarian veterinary authorities to manage
to convince the EU to have a regionalized ban on pork exports from the
area of Bourgas.