February 5, 2020

Local governments in China told to minimise disruptions to livestock and feed transports

The Ministry of Agriculture has called local authorities to stop intercepting transportation of livestock, feed and animal products amid the coronavirus outbreak in the country, reported Reuters.

The Ministry of Agriculture has also prevented slaughterhouses from closing. 

Provincial governments in China has imposed entry restrictions to stop the spread of the coronavirus. The restrictions have caused disruptions in livestock and feed transportations to slaughterhouses.

Because of transport disruptions, poultry farmers in Hubei have been forced to euthanise younger poultry. Wubei, the capital of Hubei province, is the heart of the coronavirus outbreak which has spread throughout the globe.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture, authorities must keep up with rising demand for livestock breeding and not affect supply and production. This follows the government's plan to boost local meat production after the African swine fever outbreak in China, which has resulted in dwindling meat supplies across the country.

More than 20,000 people have been infected with the coronavirus in China. The virus has killed more than 420 people.

-      Reuters