Food company exec: We hope people understand the seriousness of the situation
The movement restriction to prevent African swine fever (ASF) near Estonia's largest pig farm, Ekseko farm, does not directly affect its daily operations but helps ensure safety and allows for police involvement if needed, Maag Food board member Priit Dreimann said. He hopes people understand the seriousness of the situation and don't wander near the farm without cause.
The Agriculture and Food Board (PTA) imposed a movement restriction on Saturday around Ekseko farm, which houses 50,000 pigs, as a preventive measure against African swine fever (ASF). The agency is also preparing similar restrictions for nearly 20 other farms.
Recently, eight pigs died at the Ekseko facility. Although African swine fever was initially suspected, lab results ruled it out. The actual cause of death is still under investigation.
Maag Food board member Priit Dreimann noted that some level of natural mortality is expected among pigs — typically not exceeding 4–5 percent over a full life cycle. However, with the rapid recent spread of ASF, pig farmers are under considerable stress and reacting more sensitively than they would under normal circumstances.
"Right now, a quick and intense response is completely understandable," Dreimann said. "No one should be blamed for raising alarm. It's better that people are concerned than complacent. Today, I'm extremely grateful to the hunters, our staff and their families who are supporting us however they can."
He explained that the farm's biosecurity plan already imposes strict controls on the movement of people, animals and goods in and out of the facility. "The restriction doesn't directly affect our daily operations. What it does is give us tools to act in the future, should we need to remove potentially dangerous elements from the area," he said.
"That's the reason for the movement ban. Our staff already enter only with authorization and we're not accepting any visitors," Dreimann added.
An ASF outbreak at a major farm would be a serious blow to business. Maag Group, for instance, is a critical service provider in Estonia's food supply. "Maag Group accounts for nearly 50 percent of Estonia's pig farming. The impact would be enormous," he said.
The state is responsible for setting up signs to inform the public of the PTA's restrictions. "As far as I know, clear warning signs will be posted to ensure anyone who can read will understand they're not allowed to enter," said Dreimann.
Still, he expressed hope that there will be no need to involve police or other authorities, though the movement ban makes that an option if necessary.
"I'd like to believe that people in Estonia are generally reasonable and understand how serious this is — they won't just wander in for no reason. This is primarily a public awareness measure," Dreimann said.
Asked how emotionally difficult the initial ASF suspicion was for pig farmers, Dreimann replied that he wouldn't want to live through a day like that again.
"On the other hand, this turned out to be a very real crisis exercise for both our team and for the state. Both sides have admitted that this situation brought up new issues and helped us improve our systems. Let's just say we're relieved the results were negative — but it definitely made clear that this is no joke," he said.
As of Friday, eight outbreaks of African swine fever had been confirmed in Estonia, leading to the death or culling of more than 26,000 pigs. At the end of July, Estonia had 137 pig farms with a total of 282,846 pigs.
The movement restriction around the Ekseko farm took effect at 5 p.m. on Saturday and will remain in place until September 16 or further notice.
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Editor: Marcus Turovski, Barbara Oja
