Photographer: Qilai Shen / Bloomberg
Photographer: Qilai Shen / Bloomberg
Hong Kong will slaughter 3,000 pigs after detecting African swine fever at a local pig farm, putting the city on alert for further spread.
The virus was discovered last week at a facility in Yuen Long and transport of pigs from the farm has been suspended, according to the Hong Kong Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation. The 3,000 pigs will be slaughtered “as soon as possible” and the owners will be compensated, the department said on Tuesday.
Hong Kong acquires its pigs mainly from mainland China, which reported its first outbreak of African swine fever in 2018. The incurable disease cut China’s pig herd in half, reducing pig production and causing imports and prices from China. country’s favorite meat to reach record levels. Hong Kong had detected the disease in pigs imported from the continent in May 2019.
The last case it does not affect the operation of local slaughterhouses or the overall supply of live pigs, the department said. Authorities will continue to investigate and trace the source of the virus while intensifying inspection of local pig farms.
– With the help of John Liu and Shuping Niu