African swine fever has now spread to all parts of China. That’s after the island province of Hainan reported its first case of the disease.
China’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs says 146 pigs died from the highly contagious virus at six farms on the southernmost province of Hainan. Officials are also reporting 77 pigs died from the disease at four other farms on the island.
That means ASF has now spread to all Chinese mainland provinces since the first case was confirmed early last August.
Pork prices shot up in China last month and now Chinese officials say prices could rise by as much as 70% in the second half of this year. Because of that, China expects to see a surge in pork imports. Some experts are forecasting pork imports to rise more than 40% from last year and could hit 1.7 million tons. That’s according to a report released at a China Agricultural Outlook Conference.
We have already seen recent examples of China making big buys of U.S. pork. The report also indicates imports of cotton, edible oils, sugar, and dairy products will continue to rise this year, but the exact amount wasn’t indicated.
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