Abstract
Simple SummaryThe human pandemic COVID-19 has rapidly spread around the world, leading to extreme control measures such as population confinement and industries activity closure, including tourism and restauration. Although small ruminants are not sanitary affected, this situation might cause a negative economic impact on Spanish flocks. The data analyses provided by producers and slaughterhouses in the initial 60 days after COVID-19’s pandemic declaration, showed that while the dairy goat flocks suffered a substantial drop in milk prices, this impact was not seen in sheep milk, which remained almost stable. A price drop for lambs or goat kids was also reported. These data are in agreement with the unexpected drop of lambs and goat kids’ sacrifices in April, as reported by some slaughterhouses. We registered a short-term negative economic impact on Spanish small ruminant’s flocks after COVID-19’s pandemic declaration in the country. The long-term economic consequences still need to be studied to establish contingency plans for this type of sanitary crisis.The human pandemic COVID-19 caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) started in China in 2019 and has rapidly spread around the world, leading to extreme control measures such as population confinement and industry activity closure. Although small ruminants are not sanitary affected by this virus, the short-term economic impact derived by COVID-19 on Spanish flocks is estimated in this study, using data provided by producers and two major slaughterhouses. Milk prices of dairy goat flocks suffered a substantial drop in April 2020, close to 4.5 cts EUR/liter compared to the previous month. In contrast, the monthly milk prices in sheep remained almost stable during this period, and even increases of more than EUR 6 cts were reported in comparison with the previous year. Nevertheless, economical differences are reported by areas where producers could receive a higher income, close to EUR 0.3 per liter of milk. Global data provided by feedlots affecting 2750 Spanish flocks evidenced a lamb price drop ranging from 16.8% to 26.9% after the pandemic arrival; in line with the data directly reported by a limited sample of producers (ranging from 11.0% to 23.7%). The goat kid meat market also suffered a reduction in prices per kg, near 12.5%; although, for some flocks, losses reached up to 40%. In the same line, 2 slaughterhouses reported a sudden sacrifice drop around 27% for lambs and goat kids sacrifices in April, in contrast with the usual sacrifice figures from the beginning of 2020. Moreover, our study showed a temporary and unexpected retention of lambs and goat kids at farms due to a reduction in animals slaughtered during this period. In conclusion, data evidenced a considerable negative economic impact on Spanish small ruminant flocks, throughout the first 60 days after COVID-19’s pandemic declaration. Further studies are needed to evaluate the long-term economic consequences, in order to establish contingency plans and avoid the collapse of small ruminant industries when a crisis of these characteristics occurs.
Highlights
A new pandemic, COVID-19, caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2(SARS-CoV-2) started in China in December 2019 and has rapidly spread around the world [1]
June 22, 2020, more than 9 million cases of COVID-19 occurring in at least 188 countries and territories were reported [2]. This is the third zoonotic coronavirus that has emerged in the last two decades after the severe acute respiratory syndrome CoV (SARS-CoV) occurred in Asia between 2002 and 2003, and the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), first described in Saudi Arabia in COVID-19 was officially declared in Spain in February 27, 2020, and near the end of June, more than
This study was based on the information provided by Thisand is an initial assessment of the short-term economic impact based on the first two months after farmers two of the major small ruminants’
Summary
A new pandemic, COVID-19, caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2(SARS-CoV-2) started in China in December 2019 and has rapidly spread around the world [1]. June 22, 2020, more than 9 million cases of COVID-19 occurring in at least 188 countries and territories were reported [2] This is the third zoonotic coronavirus that has emerged in the last two decades after the severe acute respiratory syndrome CoV (SARS-CoV) occurred in Asia between 2002 and 2003, and the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), first described in Saudi Arabia in 2012 [3,4]. SARS-CoV-2 infection required a high number of intensive care places for treatment of the most serious pneumonia cases. Extreme control measures such as population confinement, social activities interruption or industries’ temporary closures were adopted by Spanish authorities on March 14, aiming at halting the number of new infections [6].
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