The country has a dismal record of transparency relating to animal or human epidemics
Chinese zodiac celebrates the year of the pig, for the Earth-bound variety it is a terrible time. African swine fever, harmless to humans but fatal to porkers, has spread across the country. Hong Kong’s first case was reported on May 17th. The epidemic has affected colossal numbers of pigs, pushing up pork prices steeply. It has walloped the tens of millions of Chinese who depend on pig-rearing for their livelihood. There is no effective vaccine.
Local officials also try to cover up. They sometimes prefer not to alert their superiors to outbreaks because to do so would require implementing onerous disease-control measures. It would also mean having to divert money away from other projects to compensate pig owners. “Officials say they are doing all they can, but they are always a step behind,” says a Western agriculture expert.
The impact on the pork supply is already evident. Prices of the meat are about 40% higher than a year ago. Last month they rose by more than 14%. Dealers have responded by releasing frozen stocks. In recent weeks this has helped to stabilise the market. But when frozen pork becomes scarcer, prices are likely to climb further.
In the long run, however, the devastation caused by the disease may have a positive impact. One reason why the virus has affected China so badly is that so much of the industry is small-scale. This has made it difficult to enforce biosecurity standards. Small operators usually lack the expertise or funds necessary to protect their herds. The government has been calling for the development of bigger, more efficient, operations.
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