These are worrying times for the worldwide pork industry – especially in Asia – due to African Swine Fever (ASF), but the deadly disease’s consequences could also present an opportunity to bring home the bacon.
ASF – harmless to humans but fatal to pigs – has badly hit the hog populations of China and other Asian countries. The battle to contain the disease is currently being lost and millions of pigs across Asia are expected to be culled as a result of the disease. In China, 1.1 million pigs have already been culled to try and prevent the disease from spreading since it was first detected in August 2018. But estimates say a staggering 200 million pigs will be slaughtered in an attempt to stop the spread of the virus.
As a result, global pork prices have soared, reportedly by almost 40%, and are expected to climb further when inventories of frozen pork are depleted and become less available. Up to a third of China’s hog population is expected to be wiped out this year. With no vaccine, ASF is an epidemic that could last long beyond 2019, ironically Chinese year of the pig.
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