German pig prices were unchanged this week despite the discovery of the disease African swine fever (ASF) in farm animals, German animal farmers’ association VEZG said.
China’s efforts to control African swine fever outbreaks among its pig herd remained complicated, with 11 outbreaks officially reported so far this year and new variants of the virus also present.
Last week’s heavy rains sparked the province’s worst flash floods in centuries, killing at least 71 people. More than a million animals died and 1,678 large livestock farms were affected, official media said.
China’s hog prices will continue to rebound in the short term, an official from the country’s state planner said on Monday, after a decline in the number of pigs born at the start of the year.
China’s second-quarter pork production surged to its highest in at least seven years, after producers launched thousands of new breeding farms last year to rebuild a hog herd decimated by African swine fever.
Large numbers of pigs are dying from ASF in China’s top hog-producing province, say farmers and analysts, raising concerns it could spread further across the south and slow China’s pork production recovery.
Smithfield Foods said on Wednesday it will pay $83 million to settle litigation that accused several companies of conspiring to limit supply in the U.S. pork market to inflate prices and their own profits.
Taiwan will postpone four referendums due late next month because of fears about the spread of COVID-19, as the government raced to contain a new outbreak at a Taipei wholesale food market.
