African Swine Fever Hits China

China’s pork industry is on high alert this week after multiple reports that African Swine Fever is present and quickly spreading. This disease can very easily be passed from pig to pig, and has no vaccine or cure. Animals that become sick usually die within a few days, or are culled by officials to prevent spreading the disease. Some of China’s top pork-producing regions have been affected, including the Jiangsu, Henan, and Heilongjiang provinces.

Due to these outbreaks, slaughterhouses and processing facilities are not allowed to take in hogs or meat from affected provinces. And because of quarantine and inspection measures required to eradicate the disease, the movement and trade of hogs and pork across the country will be disrupted. Furthermore, over 25,000 hogs have been culled—which could have serious implications for the country that consumes and produces the most pork in the world.

If this deadly disease continues to spread, China could be looking to other countries to support its citizens’ insatiable appetite for pork. With Gro Intelligence, subscribers can easily monitor pork market data and predict its trade implications.