The pig farmers have turned for help to the Agriculture Ministry.
“We’re losing about €1m each month – that’s estimating about a loss of €20 per animal,” explained Lejniece.
She went on to say that an adequate compensation package to cover the impact of the Russian countervailing trade-war measures would require support payments per breeding sow at €33-35 a head.
Also plaguing the sector is the outbreak of the deadly African swine fever (ASF) virus, which was confirmed Tuesday in another wild boar specimen by the Estonian border in Aluksne district.
Lejniece said it certainly makes matters worse. “The African swine fever is restricting how we manage our businesses, we can’t market freely where we used to in the way we were used to,” she admitted.
