MADRID, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- The government of Spain's Catalan region has reached an agreement with the livestock sector to send about 30,000 healthy pigs from the surveillance area of a recent African swine fever outbreak to a designated slaughterhouse, Spanish media reported on Friday.
The measure covers 39 farms located within a 20-km monitoring zone around confirmed cases detected in wild boar near Barcelona, reported El Pais and El Diario. Officials emphasized that all pigs have tested negative for the virus and that the resulting meat will be used solely for domestic consumption.
The agreement comes amid falling pork prices and rising pressure on producers. Regional authorities said they will continue strengthening monitoring, animal health controls and biosecurity measures to limit the economic impact on the sector.
African swine fever does not affect humans but poses a significant threat to livestock.
