Butter price rises

Bluetongue disease: 9 Styrian farms “closed”

The protection of cows is also a major issue in Styria (symbolic image)(Bild: Gabriele Moser)

Bluetongue disease is also worrying Styrian farmers - cows and sheep are affected and nine farms are currently closed. This is also affecting the price of butter.  

They are only four millimetres in size at most - but are currently keeping European agriculture on its toes: midges. Mosquitoes that can transmit bluetongue disease.

According to the Schmiedtbauer office responsible, nine farms in Styria are currently under lockdown because of this, and in four of them there are actually not just suspected but confirmed cases, each with one cow. "The animals showed no symptoms at all, but were only noticed during random checks," says Matthias Bischof, an expert from the Chamber of Agriculture. Symptoms can include fever or lumps forming on the skin. According to Bischof, the tongue does not necessarily turn blue, which is due to shortness of breath.

Matthias Bischof, expert from the Chamber of Agriculture(Bild: LK Steiermark)

These four farms and five others in various Styrian districts - sheep are also affected - are currently closed. "Milk or meat are not affected," Bischof clarifies. "But they may not be placed on the market." The good news with this disease is that no animal has to be culled automatically, treatments are sufficient. As well as prevention, many Styrian vets are currently on the road with vaccinations in the country.

And not against the (more harmless) strain 4, but the more aggressive strain 3, which is keeping Germany and Holland in check. Bischof: "It could be that this one will also come to us with more warmth in spring."

Will butter become more expensive?(Bild: AMA)

What this has to do with butter

In Germany, the number of cases of the disease is soaring, especially with the more aggressive virus strain 3, as is the case in Holland. This means that a significant number of affected cows are failing - which has a noticeable impact on milk yield and therefore on the milk fat required for butter production. This results in higher demand for which there is too little product available, so the price rises in all countries. In Germany, this is currently 30 cents more per cube, which translates into €6.50 per year for a per capita consumption of 5.4 kilos.

Keeping prices low

Austria is only 75 percent self-sufficient in butter and is therefore also dependent on imports and world market prices. However, this is not yet reflected at the supermarket checkouts, as Spar asserts when asked: "We stock almost exclusively domestic butter and, as always, will endeavor to keep prices as low as possible."

Incidentally, humans are not at risk from bluetongue and cannot be infected. Infection does not even occur from animal to animal, only via the aforementioned mosquitoes.