The impact of African Swine Fever in China has abated with herd recovery on large farms.
A Reuters report indicates hog farms with 5,000 head have increased production.
Small farmers are experiencing difficulty getting back into production. Some small farmers lack the funds to get back in business. Yet others who resumed hog production found the new herd decimated by a return of swine fever.
China admits to having lost 40 per cent of the national hog population, which was 418 million at the end of 2018.
The swine fever outbreak has increased pork exports from the United States and boosted prices.
The chief financial officer of hog processor WH Group, Guo Lijin, predicts that export boom will be over by the end of this year. WH Group owns Smithfield Foods, the largest pork processor in the world.
But Lijin says spread of COVID-19 will impact hog slaughter and prices. Five of seven Smithfeld plants are running below normal capacity due to COVID-19 and costs are higher.
Chinese hog prices are 137 per cent higher than one year ago.
Meanwhile, two international agricultural bodies have issued an appeal for global action to stop swine fever from spreading.
A joint release by the World Organization for Animal Health and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization warns swine fever has spread to 51 countries and will intensify current health and socio-economic crises.
Pork makes up 35 per cent of global meat consumption.
The disease, which causes 100 per cent mortality in pigs has spread to Africa and Europe as well as Asia.
There is no cure and no vaccine.
Ron Walter can be reached at ronjoy@sasktel.net
