Romania livestock sector faces crisis amid disease outbreaks

Romania's livestock sector is facing a severe crisis driven by multiple animal disease outbreaks and trade restrictions. The European Union has suspended live animal exports from the country due to outbreaks of small ruminant pest, sheep pox, and goat pox.

Sheep pox has led to the potential sacrifice of over 1,400 sheep across Gorj, Vâlcea, and Iașe counties. Simultaneously, an outbreak of African Swine Fever was confirmed in Siliștea, Constanța, prompting the establishment of a 10 km surveillance zone and the immediate culling of pigs on the affected farm. In Neamț, authorities are managing a rabies outbreak in cattle near Borșeni, implementing strict isolation and vaccination protocols.

In response to the economic strain, Romanian Parliamentarian Eugen Neață has initiated legislation to provide state aid for the swine and bovine sectors to offset rising costs of fuel and fertilizer. Farmers have staged protests in Bucharest, demanding compensation and criticizing the government's handling of the sanitary-veterinary situation and the resulting loss of international market access.