Foot and mouth outbreak threatens German meat exportsFoot and mouth outbreak threatens German meat exports

In the first outbreak of foot and mouth disease in nearly 40 years, U.K., Mexico and South Korea stop imports of meat.

Bloomberg, Content provider

January 14, 2025

2 Min Read
Foot and mouth disease outbreak threatens German meat exports
Bloomberg

By Celia Bergin

German meat exports are under threat following the first case of foot and mouth disease (FMD) there in almost four decades, in another potential blow to the country’s producers.

The disease can affect animals including cattle, sheep and pigs and was found in water buffalo near Berlin, in the first case since 1988. The outbreak has prompted the United Kingdom to suspend imports of beef, pork and some milk products from the country. South Korea and Mexico have also banned imports of pork, the German government said. 

“The flow of meat and goods across Europe has been turned upside down overnight,” Per Fischer Larsen, senior vice president for industry sales at European pork producer Danish Crown, said in a statement, referring to the halt in purchases by Britain, a top non-EU pork buyer. The company, the continent’s biggest pork producer, owns three slaughterhouses in Germany.

The outbreak — especially if it spreads — is the latest setback for the nation’s livestock sector, which has seen production shrink due to challenges including higher energy costs and the outbreak of African swine fever among pigs that curbed trade. That forced some factories to close, while herd sizes have also dwindled amid reduced consumption in domestic markets. Germany is one of the European Union’s largest pork exporters.

Related:HPAI not only factor contributing to higher egg prices

423445399.png

A ban on the local movement of animals has been extended to Wednesday to prevent the spread of the infection, and “the top priority now is to contain the further spread of the virus,” German Agriculture Ministry spokesperson Michael Hauck said at a press briefing.

Foot-and-mouth is a highly contagious disease that affects livestock. It is characterized by fever and blister-like sores on the tongue and lips, in the mouth, on the teats and between the hooves.

Trade groups echoed the government’s concern about the outbreak.

“Every effort must be made to contain this outbreak,” German Farmers’ Association President Joachim Rukwied said in a statement on Monday. “The economic damage to livestock farmers is significant because export markets will be lost.”
© 2025 Bloomberg L.P.

About the Author

Subscribe to Our Newsletters
Feedstuffs is the news source for animal agriculture

You May Also Like