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 tested 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 disease hotspot extends more than 1,700 square miles in a region 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.