One year of swine fever in Hesse: farmers in the fight for survival!

One year of swine fever in Hesse: farmers in the fight for survival!

On June 15, 2022, the first case of African swine fever (ASF) was confirmed in Hesse. Since then, the highly contagious viral infection has had a major impact on the region. Hundreds of wild boars died and thousands of domestic pigs had to be slaughtered. These developments led to many farmers giving up their businesses. The fear of further infections and the financial burden are great.

The responsible authorities have set up exclusion zones that have imposed significant restrictions on farmers, hunters and local residents. By the end of May 2025, over 20 million euros had already been invested in material resources such as fences. Loud hessenschau.de Around 280 kilometers of permanent fence and around 300 kilometers of mobile electric fence were built to contain the spread of the virus.

Current situation in Hesse

Although some restrictions have been lifted regionally, many farmers are experiencing financial difficulties. Especially in exclusion zone 3, farmers at slaughterhouses were unable to receive any money for their animals, which forced many to give up pig farming. Between 50 and 100 dead wild boars continue to be discovered in southern Hesse every week. Since June 2024, more than 2,000 wild boars have died from ASF, and a total of over 5,000 carcasses or carcass parts have been found. These figures show that ASF remains a major problem for agriculture.

Hunting wild boars has now become essential. While there was initially a hunting ban in some regions, many wild boars now have to be hunted in order to reduce the population and minimize the risk of reinfection in domestic pigs. Hunted wild boars may only be used for personal consumption. Since mid-March 2025, over 2,400 wild boars have been shot in the exclusion zones.

Preventive measures and challenges

ASF cannot be transmitted to humans, which means there is no risk to human consumption of pork. Nevertheless, the transmission routes of the virus through direct contact, contaminated objects or food represent a serious problem. What is particularly critical is the long-term survival of the pathogen, which can be weeks to months in the environment and years in frozen meat. These conditions require strict hygiene and biosecurity measures in pig farms.

The authorities are very worried that the virus will be imported again from outside. Swine fever has been present in other regions of Europe for five years, which is putting greater strain on the situation in Hesse. The BMEL has set up a crisis team to take appropriate measures in the event of further outbreaks and to regularly pass on the information to the EU and trading partners.

In summary, after a year of dealing with ASF in Hesse, many challenges remain. While the authorities continue to actively combat the spread of the virus, the anxious questions about the future of pig farming and the competitiveness of the affected regions remain urgent.