February 5, 2021

 

Swine disease outbreaks in winter slow China's swine production recovery

Industry participants and analysts in China said a rise in swine disease outbreaks in winter will slow the country's rapid swine production recovery, Reuters reported. 

 

Official data showed China's swine herd increased 31% in 2020, but there have been frequent swine disease outbreaks at provinces in the north and northeast plus a rise in Porcine epidemic diarrhoea (PED) cases, according to a swine farm supply company manager. He spoke to Reuters anonymously as he as not permitted to speak to the media.

 

China's government reports little data on livestock disease outbreaks on farms. However, industry members and analysts have noted an increase in disease outbreaks. 

 

Pan Chenjun, a senior analyst at Rabobank Beijing, said African swine fever (ASF) never went away but there has been more disease, referring to PED and foot-and-mouth disease.

 

She said high pork prices in December was partly because of these outbreaks.

 

Live hog prices in Shandong province, a major pork producer, reached RMB 36 (US$5.57) per kg in December 2020, the highest since August 2020 and three times higher than prices before ASF was discovered in 2018.

 

A veterinarian with a pig producer in southern China said PED is more likely to infect young sows without immunity to the disease, which has quickly spread this winter because many new farms are stocked with young sows. These females then pass the virus to their offspring.

 

He said PED can kill one month of suckling swine easily.

 

There are also new strains of ASF, caused by the use of unapproved vaccines. Yongyi Consulting, based in Shandong, said there are increased ASF cases because of the "vaccine virus" and higher swine density.

 

China's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs did not respond when asked about the uptick in disease outbreaks.

 

Last month, China reported an ASF case in Guangdong province, the first on a farm since June.

 

A manager with a Shandong-based producer said Shandong live swine prices for 6kg pigs have gone up to RMB 1,200 this month from RMB 750 last October. The producer did not want to be named.

 

In Jiangsu, prices hit RMB 1,400.

 

Yongyi compiled data showed 17% of swine set to be slaughtered were under 90kg, way below the 120kg to 140kg normal.

 

- Reuters