African swine fever hits largest Danish-Chinese pig farm

African swine fever has infected almost 100 farms across China.

Heilongjiang Asia-Europe Animal Husbandry Co. Ltd., the largest Danish-Chinese pig farm with 73,000 pigs, has been hit by an outbreak of the deadly African swine fever.

The disease has infected almost 100 farms across China since August 2018, yet this Danish-invested Chinese farm is the largest to be hit with an outbreak. Around 4,686 pigs had been infected and 3,766 animals died.

All animals on infected farms must be culled under current rules and slaughterhouses will need to test their pork products for African swine fever before selling them to the market, according to the statement of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs on Wednesday, 2 January 2019.

Reported by Reuters, neither Heilongjiang Asia-Europe Animal Husbandry nor its majority owner, state-owned Zhejiang Rural Development Group Co. Ltd., responded to calls for comment.

Steffen Schiottz-Christensen, vice president for North Asia at Danish Investment Fund for Developing Countries – IFU, confirmed the outbreak but declined to comment further as he had yet to be fully briefed.

About Nilobon Bantoey

Journalist • ScandAsia Publishing Co., Ltd. • Bangkok Thailand

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