The number of pigs fell by 10.5% from February 2016 / Photo from UNIAN
The number of pigs in Ukraine declined to a record low in the past 12 years, to 6.304 million pigs as of February 1, 2017, which is 0.5% down on the previous record low reported in February 2005 at 6.335 million pigs, according to the Ukrainian Agrarian Confederation (UAC).
The number of pigs fell by 10.5% from February 2016, the UAC said, citing State Statistics Service data.
Experts explain the situation by African swine fever (ASF) outbreaks. Some 91 ASF cases were registered in Ukraine in 2016 alone, which is also a record high in Ukraine's history. Another 34 cases have already been reported in 2017.
Quarantine regulations are now in effect in 39 villages and towns in 16 Ukrainian regions. The largest number of the quarantine zones are in Poltava region (7), Kharkiv region (5) and Luhansk region (4).
Read alsoUkraine reports new swine fever outbreakIn the past year, the number of pigs declined most in Donetsk region. As of February 1, 2017, the population of pigs there shrank by 51.9% year-over-year.
Meanwhile, Volyn, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk and Zakarpattia regions managed to boost pig herds by 4.4%, 2.3%, 1%, and 0.3%, respectively.
As UNIAN reported earlier, the livestock of cattle in Ukraine as of February 1, 2017, numbered 3.77 million head, which was 1.8% down year-over-year. In particular, the population of cows was reduced by 2.8%, to 2.112 million head, that of pigs by 10.5%, to 6.304 million animals, sheep and goats by 0.5%, to 1.368 million animals, and poultry by 1.9%, to 195.1 million birds.