News African swine fever
African swine fever spreads in China
African swine fever (ASF) is still prevalent in China. New outbreaks have been reported recently, including in the main pork-producing provinces of Sichuan and Hubei.
ASF has been prevalent in China for quite some time and has destroyed half of the domestic pig population. It seemed to be moving in the right direction for a while and China even announced that it is well on track with the recovery of the domestic pig herd, but setbacks are still lurking and ASF remains a threat.
Outbreaks in Sichuan and Hubei
New outbreaks have recently been detected in the main pork-producing provinces of Sichuan and Hubei, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs confirmed in a statement. The cases were discovered in Aba prefecture in southwestern Sichuan province and Xiangyang city in central Hubei province.
At the outbreak in Sichuan there were 38 infections on a farm with 127 pigs. In Hubei, the disease was discovered on a truck illegally transporting piglets. Of the 165 piglets, 10 were infected and 5 had died.
Illegal Vaccines
It is not the first time this year that ASF outbreaks have been reported in China. Previously, new mutations of the virus were found that are most likely caused by illegal vaccines.
Illegal vaccines have been circulating in China for some time. These pose major security risks. Chinese authorities have announced a crackdown on the production and use of illegal vaccines. However, this has not deterred producers and users.
Track down
To detect the use of illegal vaccines, often unannounced investigations are carried out. If traces of use of an illegal vaccine are found during investigation, this must be reported to the provincial veterinary authority.
Pig farmers who use vaccines could be charged with a criminal offense and the Chinese ministry is calling for penalties to be increased. In addition, rewards of 30.000 yuan (almost €4.000) will be offered to people who report illegal vaccine users.
Restore pork production
The new outbreaks of the swine virus are hampering the recovery of the Chinese pig herd. This is not a negative development for European pork exports. When Chinese production recovers, import needs will decline and European export opportunities will stagnate.
Over the years, China has become an important buyer of European pork. In 20 years, exports to China have grown by no less than 5.400%. Where initially only 58.000 tons were exported, this has now grown to more than 3 million tons. In 2010, China still accounted for 5,5% of total exports and this share has increased to 53,5% in 2020.
Chanti Oussoren
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