The sobrasada business is hanging by a thread because of the plague.
Meat producers have already begun halting purchases of pork from the Principality, even though there are no official restrictions. There are also concerns about the export of the island's flagship agricultural product.
PalmMeat companies in the Balearic Islands have begun to curb the import of live pigs from Catalonia as a precaution, following the outbreak of African Swine Fever (ASF) detected in Barcelona. However, officially there is no general restriction on the purchase of animals—either live or slaughtered—and the measures only affect the 91 municipalities in the area where the 13 infected wild boars were found. This business decision reflects the concern of the Balearic meat sector, which is heavily dependent on pork from Catalonia, accounting for up to 70% of its processed meat production. Both the pork used for direct consumption and that used for sausage production comes primarily from mainland Spain, and a significant percentage of it comes from Catalonia. For this reason, Balearic businesses and government officials are closely monitoring the evolution of the African swine fever outbreak, aware that any incident could have direct effects on a key product of the Balearic agribusiness, especially regarding the export of sobrasada, the sector's flagship product.
In 2024 alone, the Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) of Mallorca—which does not include all producing companies—sold six million sobrasadas, made largely with animals from Catalonia. Of that amount, 61%, or more than 3.6 million pieces, were sold in the rest of Spain. "It's understandable that people want to take precautions," admits Margalida Obrador, manager of Ganaderos Agrupados (Grouped Livestock Farmers) and president of the Balearic Association of Meat Industries, adding: "So far, no business owner in the sector has had any cancellations. But customers are asking us for more information about the origin of the products." Sobrasada is the flagship product and "hangs by a thread if the purchase of animals on the mainland fails," according to a small business owner who asks not to be identified. "We have a very high dependence on external suppliers because the number of farms and, above all, their capacity makes it impossible to even meet domestic consumption," he admits. For this reason, the Balearic agricultural sector is closely monitoring what happens in Catalonia. In the opinion of Pere Soler, of Carnicerías Soler, an exporting company, "it's completely understandable that there's some alarm among the population; this always happens when there's a disease that could affect animals for human consumption." "But we also mustn't lose sight of the fact that at the moment the outbreak is under control and there are "Food safety mechanisms are so important that it's difficult for things to go any further," he says.
What worries sausage producers most about exporting is not their customers in Spain, but rather foreign markets. "There are countries that don't have regionalized purchasing and, therefore, treat the same product the same way regardless of the region or area it comes from. So, if there's a health crisis like the one we're in, they treat everything coming from Spain the same," explains Margalida Obrador. However, the Director General of Agriculture, Fernando Fernández, points out that "in this sense, Europe isn't a problem because it's becoming increasingly and more effective at regionalizing its products." "In any case, the United States and Latin American markets are the most reluctant to do so," he says.
In 2024, 4% of Mallorcan sobrasada under the Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) was sold abroad. Although the figure may seem modest, it represents 240,000 units, and all the business owners consulted affirm that international interest is growing. France remains the top destination, followed by Germany, Portugal, and Lithuania, while Andorra has seen remarkable growth and has now established itself among the top five markets. The United Kingdom also remains a significant client for this protected product.
The controls work
Catalan authorities have reinforced health and biosecurity controls on farms and livestock operations near the affected area, and therefore, "there is no cause for alarm," says the Director General of Agriculture for the Catalan Government, Fernando Fernández. "Catalonia's animal safety plans are exemplary, but it's understandable that there is concern. Part of the agricultural and livestock sector has asked us, as the Government, to impose restrictive measures on pork imports, but we cannot and do not want to do so, because at the moment all the controls are working," Fernández explained. "If they have found the source, it's because their control system works and is very localized," he concluded.
An outbreak of African Swine Fever was detected in the Cerdanyola del Vallès area, within the Collserola Natural Park, and has forced Catalan authorities to take strict measures to contain the spread of the virus among wildlife and protect nearby farms. Since the first cases were confirmed in dead wild boars, 13 animals have tested positive, and the restrictions affect a total of 91 municipalities in the Barcelona metropolitan area.
The meat industry in the Balearic Islands, especially in Mallorca, is heavily dependent on sobrasada. Its consumption tradition—which remains strong and has broken records in recent years, with over two million kilos sold—is complemented by its international reach. Therefore, reducing dependence on pork from the mainland is currently "unthinkable" for the sector. So much so that, when the regulations on local products were updated this legislative term by the government of Marga Prohens, Mallorcan sobrasada was treated as an exception when it came to obtaining the distinctive 'Illes Balears-Producte local' label. According to the regional law, products labeled as local must primarily contain ingredients of island origin. But the Catalan government applied European regulations governing products with Protected Geographical Indication (PGI), such as Sobrasada de Mallorca, taking advantage of the fact that these regulations consider the geographical indication sufficient proof of local production. Thus, given that European regulations protecting PGIs take precedence over the general rule for local products, the situation was salvaged. Now, the sector is focused solely on Catalonia and hopes there will be no new outbreaks of African Swine Fever.
In recent days, at least one company from Lleida contacted the Balearic Government to inquire whether the regional executive had imposed any restrictions on the entry of pigs from Catalonia, as a client in Mallorca had cancelled several shipments containing hundreds of cochineal insects. The government responded that it had not, and that in any case, these are business decisions not currently dictated by any government order or instruction.
Meanwhile, Unió de Pagesos (Farmers' Union) called on the Balearic Government to implement an "animal health shield plan" to protect the local pig population, especially native breeds like the black pig, from the potential arrival of the virus. The union insists on strengthening surveillance and biosecurity measures at farms and slaughterhouses, leveraging the island's location as a natural barrier. It also demands rigorous controls on any imports of live pigs from high-risk areas, such as Catalonia, to prevent the spread of the virus.
The introduction of the virus could cause a serious crisis for livestock farming, pig production, and companies that manufacture derived products. For this reason, Unió de Pagesos is urging extreme caution.