African swine fever now also in North Korea

North Korea is the next Asian country to be hit by an outbreak of African swine fever, Reuters news agency reported. 

According to the South Korean Ministry of Agriculture, North Korea has reported to the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) that the virus has been found in the north of the country, near the border with China† This outbreak has not yet been officially confirmed by North Korea, but North Korean newspapers do write about the risks of African swine fever.

It is not known how many pigs North Korea has. South Korea estimates the size of the North Korean pig population at about 2,6 million. African swine fever has not yet been detected in South Korea, but the outbreak in North Korea has increased the risk. That is why South Korea is taking extra preventive measures.

Vietnam situation
African swine fever outbreaks are piling up in Vietnam. The animal disease has now been found in 48 of the country's 63 provinces. To date, approximately 2 million pigs have been culled in order to combat animal disease. Approximately 30 million pigs are slaughtered in Vietnam on an annual basis, making the country virtually self-sufficient.

Wouter Job

Wouter Baan is editor-in-chief of Boerenbusiness. He also focuses on dairy, pig and meat markets. He also follows (business) developments within agribusiness and interviews CEOs and policymakers.

w.baan@boerenbusiness. Nl

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