Romania loses EUR 250m on ban to export pork because of pig plague

Big producers in meat industry have an annual export capacity of 20 percent and shutting the door for them results in significant losses, Minea said.

In a meeting with the National Sanitary-Veterinary and Food Safety Authority (ANSVSA), Minea suggested that Romania should use raw material from import.

Romania will soon present to the European Commission the plan for 2008 to fight the pig plague, ANSVSA president, Radu Roatis said, underlining that exports will be forbidden as long as there are still infection points. Romania might restart export in 2009, the soonest.

As much as 716 infection centers were discovered in 2006, affecting 35 counties.