Danes erect fence on German border to stop swine fever

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) " Workers in Denmark have begun erecting a 70-kilometer (43.4-mile) fence along the German border to keep out wild boars in the hope of preventing the spread of African swine fever, which could jeopardize Denmark's valuable pork industry.

The steel fence, which will be up to 1.5 meters (5 feet) tall, was approved by Danish lawmakers in June.

The Danish government has warned that Denmark's pork exports to non-European Union countries " worth 11 billion kroner ($ 1.6 billion) annually " could be affected by the disease. In 2016, total Danish pork exports were worth about 30 billion kroner ($4.55 billion).

Denmark is the only EU country where pigs outnumber people, with 215 pigs to every 100 residents.