Chinese agricultural officials are reporting (computer translated) a new African swine fever (ASF) outbreak in Shaanxi Province. The outbreak, which occurred on a Jingbian County, Yulin City farm of 11,334 pigs, resulted in the death of 62 swine.

Image/skeeze
Image/skeeze

China is facing a major crisis for the pig production sector following the occurrence of African swine fever on its territory. China is the world’s leading producer of pigs and pork meat, and the Chinese market is virtually self-sufficient in terms of domestic consumption.

Earlier this month, Vice Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the People’s Republic of China, Dr Yu Kangzhen, and the Director General of the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), Dr Monique Eloit, reviewed developments in the situation and the prevention and control measures applied since the declaration of the first case of African swine fever in Liaoning province in August 2018.

Vice-Minister Yu summarized all the measures taken by the Chinese Authorities over the past months for a better and stricter control of the disease such as the ban of swill feeding practices, the reinforcement of the control of live animal movements, the registration of vehicles, and other numerous measures to improve the early disease detection as well as the outbreak management.