April 24, 2008

Vietnam limits pig exports to contain epidemic

Vietnam announced to stop the transport of pigs through ten provinces hit by the blue ear pig disease and to limit exports to China to restrain the epidemic.

The Vietnamese Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development on Tuesday banned the transport of pigs through ten provinces where blue-ear disease has erupted.

The ban is to be imposed on Thursday, the Thanh Nien Daily said.

The ban will only be removed when a province experienced no new outbreak of the disease in a 21 day period.

The new regulations are expected to lead to a possible shortage of pork the southern provinces, which consume around one million pigs from the north monthly.

Furthermore, Vietnam will also limit its China-bound pig exports from this week, seen to trigger pig price hikes in China.