UK tightens swine fever response plan to protect pig farmers and keep trade moving
The UK has updated its African and classical swine fever control strategy with more flexible restriction zones, stronger surveillance and movement rules designed to protect welfare and trade.
The UK government on May 14 published an updated strategy for responding to African and classical swine fever, with the stated aim of protecting pig farmers while preserving as much commercial continuity as possible in the event of an outbreak. Officials stressed that African swine fever has never been detected in the UK, but said preparedness needs to be strengthened in advance because of the way the disease has spread internationally.
According to the government, African swine fever affects pigs and wild boar, has caused the deaths of millions of pigs in parts of Asia and Africa and has badly disrupted meat trade. It has also spread into parts of Europe through the movement of wild boar and through human actions, including the transport of infected meat. That background is central to the UK’s decision to update its control framework before any domestic outbreak occurs.
The revised strategy is built around a more flexible, risk-based model. One of the main changes is the introduction of additional restricted zones, labelled Restricted Zones 1, 2 and 3, which can be activated depending on the circumstances. The government says that should help avoid unnecessarily broad restrictions on live pig and pork movements, reduce overcrowding pressure on farms and allow day-to-day operations to continue more smoothly where it is safe to do so.
The strategy was developed jointly with the Scottish and Welsh governments and places greater weight on surveillance. Veterinary inspectors will visit premises inside disease control zones to verify compliance, while enhanced testing is intended to improve early detection. Risk-based movement licensing has also been expanded, so pigs may be moved within zones under veterinary oversight for welfare reasons or to complete production cycles, helping producers maintain suitable housing conditions and reduce business disruption.
Ministers highlighted the economic scale of the sector, describing the pig industry as worth more than GBP8 billion. Additional measures include a clearer framework for a national movement ban, more flexibility in meat controls so some products from restricted zones can remain commercially viable under specific conditions, and more detailed cleansing and disinfection guidance so producers can plan safe restocking. The minimum period for protection zones has also been reduced to 15 days from 30 to 45 days after initial cleansing and disinfection, subject to surveillance outcomes.
The government also said the updated approach strengthens the UK’s ability to apply regionalisation, so disease-free areas could continue exporting safely during an outbreak. It repeated that African swine fever poses no risk to human health, but warned that the risk of the virus entering the UK through people bringing products of animal origin, including pork and dog chews, is assessed as high. Farmers, food businesses and the public were urged to maintain strict biosecurity and avoid bringing pork products back from affected countries.