The German state of Brandenburg has announced plans to build a fence on its border with Poland following the confirmation of a further nine cases of African Swine Fever (ASF) in the region.

German minister for food, agriculture and consumer protection Julia Klöckner has welcomed plans to erect a fence on the border, but insisted a wide mix of measures is necessary to combat the disease.

The total number of confirmed cases of the virulent disease in Germany stands at 29 as of Wednesday 23 September.

Targeted measures

Domestic pigs remain unaffected by the outbreak, Federal Agriculture Ministry (BMEL) officials have said, stressing that the disease poses no danger to humans.

The German government has changed the legal basis on which fences can be built in light of the ASF outbreak.

The farm Minister reminded other German states that there are EU subsidies for control measures and warned against the idea that fences would provide complete protection against ASF.

Minister Klöckner said: “A fence can help, but it is a component of prevention, not a guarantee. That is why it is so important that the federal states take further effective measures, such as increased carcase tests and targeted hunting.”

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