– Suspending or even ceasing work on the strategy is very bad news for breeders, and the support mechanisms proposed by the Ministry do not meet our expectations in any way. From my perspective, this is a kind of slap in the face, a statement that the work we have been carrying out in recent years has made no sense. If so, it turns out that the entire pig breeding industry makes no sense, because without fundamental changes it has no future. Minister Siekierski recently assured us that pork production is a priority, and rebuilding the pig population is one of the main goals of the ministry. Meanwhile, it turns out that it is to consist of ad hoc actions at most – said Bogusław Prałat, president of the Polish Association of Independent Pig Producers, in an interview with Farmer.pl.
Read more
Another dozen or so municipalities in the ASF red zone. Changes in two voivodeships
No changes in the fight against ASF
Our interviewee did not hide his disappointment with the lack of decisive action in the fight against ASF. Among the mechanisms proposed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, there is only talk of continuing support for investments in biosecurity of facilities. Firstly, such support will not improve the situation of farmers who are already struggling with the consequences of ASF, secondly, it comes from the de minimis aid pool, which means that many farmers will not be able to use it.
– Without decisive changes in the approach to combating ASF, we will never defeat the disease. I do not see any successes in this area. The explanation that we have fewer ASF outbreaks in pig herds is ridiculous, because it results mainly from the decreasing number of farms keeping pigs from year to year. Currently, farmers from ASF zones cannot count on any help to compensate for the losses incurred. Previously, these mechanisms were there – better or worse, but they were there. Today, we are left to our own devices, and the difference in price between the red and white zones is as much as 40 groszy. This is simply killing producers – says the president of the PZNPŚ.
Read more
The tragedy of pig farmers in the Gniezno district continues. "Nobody is counting losses anymore"
Credits won't solve problems
The breeder also did not hide his disappointment with the mechanism of preferential loans proposed by the Ministry for breeders developing production.
– According to previous proposals, a support mechanism for farmers building or modernizing facilities for piglet production was to be implemented, according to which the state offered a preferential loan for the construction part with partial repayment of interest, while the cost of equipment (sometimes constituting more than half of the cost of the entire investment) was to be reimbursed by the state by 50-60%. The current authorities of the Ministry of Agriculture have left maybe 1/3 of the specifics from this proposal. A preferential loan alone is definitely not enough – says the breeder.
Read more
Fatal news from Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship. An outbreak of ASF in pigs deep in the province
