May 20, 2005

China's foot-and-mouth disease largely under-reported

Despite efforts in greater transparency towards reporting of infectious diseases, China's revelation of foot-and-mouth disease still fell short of international standards, said officials in the animal feed industry.

Little is known still of the extent to which foot-and-mouth, a livestock wasting disease, has spread across the country although reports have surfaced that it first emerged soon after the Spring Festival, over two months ago. The disease is said to have infected pigs since the February holiday, and is likely to have affected 10 provinces.

China confirmed late-April outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease among cattle in its eastern provinces of Shandong and Jiangsu, said the World Organisation for Animal Heath (OIE), citing information received on May 13 from Jia Youling, director-general of the veterinary bureau of China's Ministry of Agriculture.

Demand for pig mash in some areas has fallen by up to 50 percent since April. Local officials were reportedly hesitant to announce the problem for fear that culling could devastate village economies and the country's pork industry.

In the first three quarters of 2004, China slaughtered 487 million pigs. Pork exports of 95,200 tonnes in the first quarter of 2005 were worth $224 million, Ministry of Agriculture data showed.

In contrast, beef exports in the first quarter this year rose 15 percent to 3,469 tonnes, worth $7.4 million. China slaughtered 36 million cattle in the first three quarters of 2004.