German Federal Minister of Agriculture Cem Özdemir (Greens) has warned of severe economic damage if the spread of the disease, African Swine Fever (ASF), is not stopped. “That would be an economic catastrophe” Özdemir said in an interview with RTL and ntv’s “Frühstart” program on Thursday. “It’s already bad enough for those within the quarantine zone.”
According to Özdemir, it is crucial to take all necessary measures to ensure that Germany is free of the disease once again. Continuous and thorough investigations will be conducted to rule out the possibility of an outbreak.
The minister pointed out that a “well-established mechanism” for compensation exists in the case of animal diseases. “There is an animal disease fund that compensates for the animals that are culled and need to be transported away” he said. However, if a larger outbreak were to occur, the extent of the damage would need to be considered. “We’re not just talking about the economic consequences for the export industry here. If a larger outbreak were to occur, we would need to assess the scope of the damage and then no one could shirk responsibility” Özdemir said. “The goal must be that no farm is forced to close due to this.