Pig farms affected by African Swine Fever in Rousse await BGN 1,5 m compensation

The three industrial pig farms in Bulgaria’s Rousse district where outbreaks of African Swine Fever were registered are awaiting 1.5 million BGN in compensation for burial of culled animals and disinfection of the sites.

The amount was specified in a public procurement tender called by the Bulgarian Food Safety Agency. The contractors were selected by negotiations.

Each of the affected industrial farms will receive between 300,000 and 600,000 BGN for culling and burying the animals. Further 720,000 BGN will be given to a company from Razgrad that will deal with disinfection and decontamination of sites.Culling of pigs at Nikolovo farm was completed. The process continues at the other two.

Doctor Georgi Dyakov, the head of Rousse Regional Directorate of Food Safety, said that the culling of pigs in Brushlen farm was expected to be completed by August 6. The culling began in Golyamo Vranovo on August 3.

Because of the African Swine Fever outbreaks, measures at the Danube Bridge in Rousse had been strengthened. Sausages and meat are being confiscated from travellers crossing the border and are stored in a special freezer. Doctor Dyakov explained that in the past month, about 60kg of food of animal origin had been confiscated, most often from Bulgarians arriving from abroad. African Swine Fever had not been found in any of those products.

The Regional Directorate of Food Safety continues with the enhanced control at the smaller industrial pig farms in Rousse region, in the villages of Pisanets, Shtraklevo and Karamanovo, where there are 10,000 pigs.