African Swine Fever (ASF) has now expanded to 24 provinces and regions of China since August 2018, prompting the culling of more than 900,000 pigs so far, according to a Reutersreport citing Chinese officials.
China’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs updated the number of outbreaks of ASF to more than 100 despite months of biosecurity efforts that limited transportation of hogs, the report said. Some hog farmers reportedly also are culling pigs as they leave the industry because the disease is negatively affecting prices and trade, Reuters quoted a Rabobank analyst as saying. Slaughter efforts and slow restocking of larger farms could lower China’s overall pig herd by as much as 20 percent, the analyst predicted.
Meanwhile, U.S. pork industry officials are taking steps to help prevent ASF from affecting domestic hogs. The National Pork Board says its Pork Checkoff Swine Health Committee is developing a task force that will focus on how to reduce the risk of ASF introduction, elevate communication, education and research efforts throughout the pork chain and monitor progress to address ASF issues as they arise.
The Pork Board also reported the discovery of an ASF-infected pig that washed up on the shore of Taiwan’s Kinmen Island and warned that ASF is a threat to France and other European Union countries because of potential ASF infection among wild boars in south Belgium. The organization’s “Foreign Animal Disease Preparation Bulletin” also asks people who have visited a foreign farm or have come into contact with animals where ASF has been confirmed to notify U.S. Customs officials when entering the United States so they can be screened by an agriculture specialist.
Source : Meatingplace