Britain tightens African swine fever defences to protect £8bn pig sector

Britain is stepping up defences against one of the world’s most damaging livestock diseases amid growing concerns African swine fever could one day reach UK shores.

The government has unveiled a tougher disease control strategy aimed at protecting the country’s £8 billion pig sector while avoiding the widespread disruption and trade losses seen in parts of Europe, Asia and Africa.

African swine fever (ASF), which affects pigs and wild boar, has killed millions of animals worldwide in recent years and triggered major restrictions on meat exports. The disease spreads through infected animals, contaminated pork products and poor biosecurity practices.

Although ASF has never been detected in the UK, ministers said preparations were being strengthened to ensure authorities and producers can respond rapidly to any future outbreak.

Under the updated strategy, officials will introduce a more flexible system of disease control zones designed to contain outbreaks without imposing blanket restrictions across the entire industry.

New Restricted Zones 1, 2 and 3 could be deployed depending on the scale and severity of an outbreak, helping reduce unnecessary disruption to pig movements and pork supplies.

The government said the measures should ease pressures on farmers by reducing the risk of overcrowding on farms and allowing more day-to-day operations to continue safely.

The plans, developed alongside the Scottish and Welsh governments, also include tighter surveillance measures and expanded testing requirements aimed at identifying infection more quickly.

Veterinary inspectors will carry out visits to premises inside disease control zones to check compliance with restrictions and biosecurity rules.

Biosecurity Minister Baroness Hayman said the updated approach would help protect both farmers and animal welfare standards.

She said: “These changes will help reduce unnecessary pressures on farmers and producers, maintain high standards of welfare, and ensure we are well prepared to respond quickly and confidently to any outbreak.”

The strategy also expands movement licensing rules under veterinary supervision, allowing pigs to be moved within restricted areas for welfare reasons or to complete production cycles.

UK Chief Veterinary Officer Christine Middlemiss said the revised plans would ensure Britain was “better prepared than ever before” to tackle a potential outbreak of African or classical swine fever.

She added: “Enhanced surveillance and flexible movement licensing will help us detect disease earlier and protect our national herd whilst maintaining essential farming operations in a biosecure manner.”

Officials have also shortened the minimum duration for some protection zones from between 30 and 45 days to 15 days following initial cleansing and disinfection, subject to surveillance outcomes.

The government believes the change could significantly reduce welfare pressures on farms while maintaining disease safeguards.

Further measures include updated guidance on cleansing and disinfection procedures, alongside greater flexibility over meat controls to help some pork products from restricted zones remain commercially viable under strict conditions.

Ministers also said the framework would strengthen the UK’s ability to protect exports during any future outbreak by allowing disease-free areas to continue trading under regionalisation rules.

The government warned that the biggest risk of ASF entering Britain comes from infected pork products being brought into the country from affected regions overseas.

Travellers returning from ASF-affected countries have been urged not to bring pork or pork products into the UK, while farmers and the wider food industry are being reminded to maintain strict biosecurity standards.

ASF poses no risk to human health.