January 29, 2007

Japan bans pork imports from Hungary
 

Japan closed its borders for pork from Hungary following an outbreak of classical swine fever (CSF) in three wild boars in the east European country.

Hungarian meat producers were stunned by the announcement, as the disease has not been detected in livestock. The three boars probably came from Slovakia, but had not infected any other animals, said head veterinary surgeon Miklos Suth. He said Hungary informed Tokyo about the same and took preventive measures.

Hungary's pig market could collapse due to the ban, said Laszlo Kovacs, CEO of meat processor Pick Szeged. Japan is an important market for Hungary, accounting for 10 percent of pork exports.

The ban could accumulate the stock of pig leading to a fall in prices, pointed out Kovacs adding certain pork parts, like spare rib roast and ham only fetched a good price in Japan.