More than a year later, China continues to report outbreaks of African Swine Fever. The latest case was inside a breeding cooperative in the central part of the country, killing nearly the entire herd. The remainder of the herd was culled, and a transportation ban on pigs and related products is still in effect.
According to the Chinese Ag Ministry, the disease has wiped out more than 41 percent of the country’s pig herd. The sow population is said to be down 38.9 percent, with every province in China being affected. Industry experts however widely believe that the numbers are larger than Chinese officials report, with Rabo-Bank estimating closer to 50 percent.
Imports of pork to China were up 76 percent last month, compared to September a year ago because of the disease. For the first eight months of 2019, imports totaled 1.3 million tons, with the largest one month increase occurring in September. Retail pork prices have jumped 84 percent year on year, causing the food price index to reach their highest in 7 years.
