(4 Jul 2019) China's Deputy Agriculture Minister Yu Kangzhen said Thursday the spread of swine fever, which has killed 1.2 million animals, has "significantly slowed". Yu said at a news conference in Beijing there had been 44 recorded outbreaks of African swine fever in China since the start of 2019, compared to 99 between August and December 2018.
He said extra support would be provided to those "at the grassroots level", but admitted the situation for controlling the spread of the virus remained "complicated and grim".
Pork is China's staple meat and the country produces and consumes two-thirds of the world's pigs.
Bans imposed on shipping pigs out of areas with outbreaks have caused shortages in major cities.
Importers have filled the gap by purchasing more abroad, pushing up prices in Asia and Europe.
The virus does not harm humans but is fatal and spreads quickly among pigs.
The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation has reported outbreaks in 32 of China's 34 provinces.
Yu said China had made "positive progress" on developing a swine fever vaccine, but putting such a defence into action had so far been a worldwide problem.
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