- Insurance providers express concern over potential substantial financial setbacks due to animal illnesses.
Due to widespread animal sickness incidents, such as those in Hesse and Rhineland-Palatinate, insurers anticipate substantial financial losses. Regular alerts about bluetongue disease, which primarily impacts cows and goats, have been circulating, as reported by R+V in Wiesbaden.
Furthermore, African Swine Fever (ASF) continues to proliferate. Carsten Reimer, R+V's agricultural expert, noted that in Hesse, there aren't many farmers who specialize in pigs. If one animal contracts the illness, the entire farm's pig herd must be put down.
For pig farmers within the restricted zone, the revenue from slaughter pigs is almost nonexistent, and they incur extra expenses for blood tests and transportation. Unfortunately, these losses are not covered by the state. An ASF outbreak also poses serious implications for crop farming, as stringent regulations come into play.
In the year 2008, the damage totaled 14 million euros - could that happen again this time around?
During the 2007/2008 bluetongue disease outbreak, R+V's yield loss insurance customers suffered collective damages of approximately 14 million euros. With this latest disease outbreak, a similar level of damage is predicted, according to Reimer. However, estimating the exact extent of damage from the current ASF outbreak is challenging.
"Regarding African Swine Fever, we've noticed a steady increase in damage reports, as more infected wild boars are discovered," stated Isabell Cross from Allianz Agrar. She anticipates that ASF will likely remain a pressing issue for the foreseeable future. The incidence of bluetongue disease in cattle operations is also on the rise at present.
Animal health experts are closely monitoring the spread of African Swine Fever (ASF), as its impact on pig farms can lead to significant financial losses. For instance, if one pig contracts the disease, the entire herd must be culled, leading to substantial expenses and negligible revenue from slaughter pigs.
The rise in bluetongue disease incidence in cattle farming is another concern, particularly as disease outbreaks, like the 2007/2008 episode, can result in substantial financial losses for affected farmers.
