Swine fever sweeps Italy’s north, threatening production of prized prosciutto and livelihoods

Associated Press

CORTELEONA E GENZONE, Italy (AP) — One of Giovanni Airoli’s sows turned up positive for African swine fever in late August. Within a week, all 6,200 sows, piglets and fattening pigs on his farm south of Milan were slaughtered under strict protocols to halt the disease threatening Italy’s 20-billion-euro industry for prosciutto, cured sausage and pork. Since swine fever appeared on the peninsula in January 2022, Italy has killed nearly 120,000 pigs. Three-quarters of those were just over the past two months as the emergency intensified. The hotspot extends more than 1,700 square miles in a region world-renowned for its prized Parma ham. Italy’s agricultural lobby group Coldiretti estimates the damage so far at 500 million euros and warns that some farmers risk losing their livelihoods.