Romania’s Pork Industry in Crisis: APCPR Calls for Urgent Action to Control ASF and Restore Domestic Production

In light of the dramatic situation faced by Romania’s pork production sector, the Romanian Pork Producers Association (APCPR) has issued a public statement emphasizing:

“Pork is the main imported product in Romania, driving an alarming trade deficit!”

Romania has been extracting billions of dollars from its national economy due to a sharp rise in pork imports, which began in 2017 following the emergence of numerous African Swine Fever (ASF) outbreaks.

The Romanian Pork Producers Association (APCPR) is urgently calling on authorities to adopt and implement immediate measures to control ASF.

Romania has become increasingly dependent on pork imports to meet domestic demand, with the self-sufficiency rate plummeting from 70% in 2015–2016 to 45% in 2024—a trend that continues into the first quarter of 2025.

Pork has been Romania’s most imported agri-food product over the past decade, primarily due to the widespread presence of ASF in both domestic pigs and wild boar populations.

ASF was first detected in domestic pigs in Romania on July 31, 2017, and by June 11, 2018, had spread rapidly across southeastern Romania and then nationwide.

Between 2017 and 2025, Romania recorded the highest number of ASF outbreaks in domestic pigs in the EU—over 7,000 outbreaks, out of approximately 12,700 reported EU-wide. These were mostly located in backyard farms but also affected commercial operations, with over 1.8 million pigs culled at the national level.

Pork Import Trends

Romania’s pork imports have steadily increased over the past decade, as the commercial farming sector has struggled to meet consumption needs due to ASF and the persistence of an untaxed parallel market sustained by backyard pig holdings.

According to media sources, Romania imported $1.13 billion worth of pork in 2023, ranking as the 10th-largest pork importer globally (out of 219 countries). In the same year, pork was the 16th-most imported product (out of 1,213) in Romania.

Based on data from Romania’s National Institute of Statistics shared with the media, Romania imported pork worth €950.5 million in the first 11 months of 2024—a 28% increase year-on-year. The trade deficit for this product category widened to €947.2 million, also up by 28% compared to the previous year.

Between 2013 and 2024, Romania registered the highest annual growth rate in pork purchases among major importing countries (an average of 7.7% per year). In terms of import value, Romania also recorded the fastest growth rate in the EU—an average of 11.2% per year.

APCPR’s Call to Action

Given this well-documented crisis and the availability of solutions, the APCPR Board of Directors is publicly requesting Prime Minister of Romania, alongside all responsible bodies (ANSVSA, MADR, MMAP, MAI, MF, and other relevant authorities), to urgently convene a strategic meeting aimed at:

• Implementing an emergency action plan to control ASF, and
• Rebuilding the domestic pork industry, while simultaneously addressing the severe impact on the national trade balance.

(GRAPHIC: APCPR)