China reported two new cases of African swine fever (ASF) to the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), according to information from the specialized portal suinoculturaindustrial.com.br. The first outbreak reported on April 4 affected 328 pigs in Yangdian district in Gansu region and the second affected 298 pigs in Jiangkou district in Chongking region.
According to the OIE, the origin of both cases was through the transport of animals between provinces. “The country had already reported several cases in March, most of which were due to the transport of animals between provinces. The Chinese Ministry of Agriculture has begun a 60-day investigation into illegal transport of pigs, starting on April 1, the ministry said in another statement,” the portal reports.
According to the Chinese government, responsible entities are closely monitoring measures to prevent African swine fever, while pressuring producers to resume pig production. “Despite Chinese advances in containing the disease, it will still take time for pork production to be fully restored,” he adds.
“Six planes carrying more than four thousand breeders from France arrived in China this year, being the first of dozens of planes full of animals that are expected to land in the Asian country. China is accelerating animal imports as it races to replenish the market after an outbreak of African swine fever ravaged the country from late 2018, killing tens of millions of pigs and reducing livestock production by up to 60%,” he concludes.
Source: agrolink