According to the Estonian Ministry of Agriculture, around 62,000 pigs were culled at farms in 2025 due to 11 ASF outbreaks. By the end of the year, Estonia’s pig sector comprised 141 farms with a total herd of 216,500 pigs. In 2026, the ministry will begin accepting applications for new farm construction projects with state support.
The impact of the outbreaks is already being felt on the domestic market. Estonia’s pork self-sufficiency rate has fallen from 72% to 50%, according to a representative of one of the largest producers, Maag Agro. The sector is currently operating close to full capacity and struggling to meet domestic demand; any disruption to foreign trade could result in supply shortages.
At the same time, the industry is critical of the scale of the government measures. Maag Agro believes the proposed tools are insufficient to overcome the crisis, as ASF is unlikely to loosen its grip in the near future. “In six months summer will return, and the virus will start spreading more actively again. It is unclear why decisive action was not taken already last summer,” the company said.
Meanwhile, the disease continues to circulate among wild boar. According to Estonia’s Minister of Agriculture Johannes Terras, roughly one in five wild boar found dead in the country’s forests is currently infected with ASF. Efforts by hunters in 2025 failed to curb the spread of the virus.
The government acknowledges that recovery of the sector will take time and require a comprehensive approach, combining investment in production infrastructure, strengthened biosecurity, and more effective control of ASF in wild populations.
PigUA.info, based on pigprogress.net