Efforts to get Russia to lift EU pig ban unsuccessful

Difficulties arising from a blanket ban by Russia on all imports of pig meat from the EU have still not been resolved.

Russia is an important market for Irish pork with exports in 2013 of about 20,000 tonnes (66.5% higher than 2012) and a value of €55m.

Lithuania discovered two cases of African swine fever in wild boar near its border with Belarus in January this year.