African swine fever still ‘major risk factor’ for China as it bans Malaysian pig imports over outbreak fears

The deadly African swine fever once killed half of China’s pig population, sending the price of pork skyrocketing, and six small outbreaks have been reported since the start of 2021

China banned all imports of pigs, boars and related products from Malaysia this week after it detected its first-ever African swine fever outbreaks last month

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African swine fever first appeared in China in 2018, creating a severe shortage of the staple meat in the world’s largest pork consuming country, resulting in skyrocketing food prices. Photo: EPA-EFE

Published: 8:30pm, 12 Mar 2021Updated: 8:30pm, 12 Mar 2021

African swine fever remains a “major risk factor” for China’s pig production after the government this week was forced to step up its efforts to control a resurgence of the disease at home and in neighbouring countries.

With concerns the African swine fever re-emergence may threaten efforts to rebuild its national pig herd, raising questions about food security and consumer inflation outlook, China has issued a new import ban and also cracked down harder on fake vaccines for the deadly disease that once killed half of the nation’s pig population.

“At present, African swine fever is still a major risk factor affecting our country’s pig production,” China’s Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Affairs said this week.

“Until now, neither our country nor any other in the world has approved the use of an African swine fever vaccine. The vaccines being used in production and operations without the approval of strict procedures are all fake vaccines, which pose great safety risks.”

The disease first appeared in China in 2018, creating a severe shortage of the staple meat in the world’s largest pork consuming country, resulting in skyrocketing food prices.

This week, China banned all imports of pigs, boars and related products from Malaysia after it detected its first-ever African swine fever outbreaks last month.

The five outbreaks across Malaysia have killed five boars and 303 pigs, as of February 26, according to the World Organisation for Animal Health, while Vietnam has culled around 2,000 pigs this year following a small flare-up of the disease, its agriculture ministry confirmed.

On Tuesday, China’s agricultural ministry confirmed its latest outbreak after two of the 10 piglets that were being transported in a truck without authorisation in Huaying city in the southwestern Sichuan province – a key pork producing region – had died from the disease.