April 18, 2022

Conference highlights unaffected German federal states should share costs in fighting ASF

The war in Ukraine, a fertiliser ordinance, the implementation of EU agricultural policy and animal welfare in animal husbandry were among the topics of the latest Agriculture Ministers' Conference (AMK), which recently took place in Magdeburg, Germany.

Other items on the AMK agenda dealt with various demands for the fight against African swine fever (ASF). These include, among other things, negotiations on a regionalisation agreement with China and other trading partners for pork exports, as well as financial support to cover the increased costs incurred by pig producers in ASF-affected areas.

Additionally, the AMK agreed that the federal states that are not affected by ASF should share the costs of measures to combat the disease with the states of Brandenburg, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Saxony.

Also, the costs incurred for the construction of protective fences until December 31, 2020, will be borne proportionally by all federal states. The calculation is based on the percentage of pigs reared in the federal state and the corresponding "Königstein" formula (based on tax revenue and number of inhabitants).

- Conference of Ministers of Agriculture (Germany)