Expensive walls against swine fever: 163 million euros for Brandenburg!

Expensive walls against swine fever: 163 million euros for Brandenburg!

If you look at the financial dimensions of the fight against African swine fever (ASF), it quickly becomes clear: there is a lot going on here! In Brandenburg alone, spending has increased exorbitantly. Loud maz-online.de The costs for building the fence against the ASP add up to an impressive 163.7 million euros - this corresponds to the price of five brand-new Leopard 2 tanks, which each cost around 30 million euros. Simply insane when you consider that 2,374 kilometers of protective fence have already been built since 2019. But the challenge remains enormous.

The pressure on the administrations is great, because not only the construction of the fence, but also the maintenance eats up a good portion of the budget - a good 76 million euros have already been spent on it. In addition, property owners received around 21 million euros in compensation, which further increases the financial burden.

The situation in Hesse

But Brandenburg is not the only one struggling with this epidemic. The situation doesn't look much better in Hesse either. Reported here hessenschau.de that combating ASF has already cost the state government over 14.5 million euros. Over 3,600 domestic pigs were culled within a very short period of time, which is causing existential difficulties for many pig farmers.

In total, the Hessian government had spent more than one million euros on the search for dead wild boars by mid-March of this year, which turned out to be the largest expenditure item. The use of sniffer dogs and drones to uncover the carcasses is a central measure.

Prospects and challenges

The fences prove to be effective - especially in combination with the shooting of wild boars. In Brandenburg they are now planning to dismantle the fences as the animal disease eases somewhat. Nevertheless, the fences remain standing on the Oder, where ASF remains endemic. However, dismantling the facilities will also be expensive - the estimated cost is 45 million euros. And the districts also have to store the fences to an appropriate extent, which causes additional costs.

Overall, the process of containing ASF in both federal states is described as lengthy and complex. The Hessian Minister Ingmar Jung characterized the issue as “lengthy and highly complex” and urged caution, as requirements and restrictions for the population, such as hunting or staying in certain restricted zones, will remain in place in the future.

The economic consequences are serious. Veterinarians are already warning of a possible collapse of the pig industry, while many pig farmers are reporting existential financial problems. There are also voices from politics calling for relief for municipalities through pay-as-you-go procedures - a measure that is not provided for in the current law.

In summary, the situation is serious and the costs are gigantic. It remains to be hoped that the efforts to combat African swine fever will soon bear fruit, so that not only the animal populations but also the financial stability of the companies are preserved.