Deadly Floods Affect Pig Farms and Raise African Swine Fever Risks in China
Heavy rains are complicating China’s hog health status, experts say. The storms that hit Henan province in central China have caused damage to some hog farms in the major pork-producing region and Bloomberg reports it potentially will trigger fresh cases of African swine fever (ASF).
Lin Guofa, a senior analyst at Bric Agriculture Group, told Bloomberg that their biggest wory is the potential of more ASF outbreaks as healthy hogs may be infected through contact with sick pigs or contaminated feed and water.
The torrential rains are causing short-term challenges on logistics, including transportation of hogs, the article said.
China officials report that the country has largely recovered from ASF, but the situation remains “complicated,” and a worsening spread of the deadly virus could set the country back again in rebuilding its swine herd.
The country has reported 11 incidents of the disease this year and the emergence of new strains with milder symptoms and a longer incubation period has made it difficult to identify cases as quickly as before, the agriculture ministry said on Tuesday.
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