Poland fences itself off from the fever, or from Ukraine?

Users of social networks have already jokingly nicknamed this project "Wild Boar Plan" and draw analogies with Yatseniuk’s wall. The journalists of the updated channel "Priamyi" with Kateryna Kozubenko went even further. They sarcastically hinted that the ASF and wild boars are only an excuse, but in fact, Poland wants to isolate itself from the problems of Ukraine (this was discussed in the video https: //www.youtube.com/watch?v=1n_soaVm5fc).

 

However, behind every joke there’s some truth. After all, today ASF in Ukraine has led to the destruction of 130 thousand pigs and financial losses in the amount of more than 1.1 billion UAH, serious problems in the social sphere and in foreign markets. There are specific people who lost jobs and earnings behind these figures. The state lost taxes and the possibility of using them to ensure social standards ...

 

I will say it specially for journalists that wild boars are one of the main ways of transferring the causative agent of the African fever to tens of kilometers. It should be noted that the rate of spread of the ASF pathogen in the population of wild pigs ranges from 12 to 20 days at a distance of 3.5 - 11.0 km. The transmission of the ASF virus from one family group to another is 14 days. Every 2 weeks the fever spreads to ten kilometers. Thus, for 2 years in Ukraine there are practically no safe areas left.

 

Poland is well aware of the magnitude of the problem, so it is ready to invest heavily in the means of protection to prevent the introduction of ASF from Ukraine and Belarus. The Poles know that if the fever is on their territory, then what is happening in our country today can happen to their pig industry. In Poland, "one’s split" on the construction sites of the walls is impossible, because anti-corruption bodies work there.

 

Unfortunately, today in our country serious problems that threaten the existence of animal husbandry and the reputation of the state in the world market remain outside the attention of our officials.

 

I have already noted on many occasions that an effective comprehensive state program should be implemented to effectively solve the problem of African swine fever. Moreover, there is already a draft of such a program. It was developed by the Ukrainian Stock Breeders Association together with producers, scientists and representatives of the State Service of Ukraine for Food Safety and Consumer Protection. There are written down real steps, effective mechanisms, how to deal with the fever comprehensively. In February this project on "Programs for the prevention and control of the spread of the African swine fever in Ukraine in the territory of Ukraine for 2017-2022" was submitted to the Ministry of Agrarian Policy for consideration and approval by the Government. But, until now the document is not signed, but is gathering dust somewhere in the offices.

 

Meanwhile, our neighbors are fencing itself from us, as from the fever. To sum up, sarcasm here will not help.

 

Iryna Palamar

 

Chairman of the Ukrainian Stock Breeders Association