Reuters reported African pig cholera is showing signs of outbreaks in southern China after heavy rains and floods, affecting Beijing’s goal to restore pork supply after the annual epidemic. last.
In 2019, the Chinese pig herds with the largest scale in the world dropped 180 million (equivalent to 40%) after the cholera epidemic. China has encountered a serious pork crisis because of a supply decrease. So, when cholera began to show signs of being under control, Chinese pig producers were building pig farms to make up for the shortage that caused the country’s pork price to skyrocket.
However, according to expert Zheng Lili of consulting firm Shandong Yongyi, heavy rains and floods in southern China since mid-June seem to be causing a outbreak of pig cholera again.
A study conducted by Shandong Yongyi on small-scale pig farmers, animal husbandry companies, slaughterhouses and pig purchasing businesses in 20 provinces showed that African swine cholera outbreaks had occurred after Heavy rain occurred in Guangdong province, Guangxi area and other areas.
"Medium-scale and large-scale pig farms are affected by the epidemic," says Zheng.
Analysts say Chinese farmers tend to bury infected pigs and rainwater may have spread the pathogen through groundwater.
China’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs announced dozens of African pig cholera outbreaks in March and April, implying that the disease appears to be spreading back before the rain and floods.
Guangdong Province, Sichuan Province and Jiangxi Province have not yet voiced this information. Meanwhile, an official on veterinary medicine in Guangxi told Reuters that it had not recently received a notice regarding African swine throughout the region.
"If heavy rains continue throughout July, pig stocks in Sichuan, Guangdong, Guangxi and Jiangxi provinces could be reduced by 20% in August compared to May," said expert Zheng. warning.
In addition, analysts say that biosecurity measures on many farms in southern China have not been applied to combat heavy rainfall as in recent times.
