Brighter picture painted for pig farmers

Pork prices falling, stocks growing after disease outbreak

Wen Jian, who raises pigs in Luchuan county, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, at one time last year could count more than 10,000 of the animals among his livestock assets.

But following an outbreak of African swine fever in the county in July, his stock fell to about 400, bringing him a loss of 13 million yuan ($1.85 million).

After hesitating for several months, Wen decided to replenish his stock. He was attracted by the potential profits offered by soaring pork prices and a tight supply.

After a meeting on Nov 5 organized by the county government with the aim of boosting pork production, Wen purchased more than 1,000 piglets, buoyed by the local authorities' determination to rejuvenate the pig-raising business in Luchuan, which had been a pork production base.

Wen, president of the Luchuan Pig Raising Association, said: "I think the decision to replenish my stock will help me make more money. My goal is to recover my losses from the swine fever within three years, and I am very confident of doing that."

Like Wen, many people who raise pigs in Luchuan have started, or are planning, to replenish their stocks amid the prospects of higher profits and with improved confidence that the African swine fever threat will be conquered.

By early this month, 130 pig farmers had resumed production, with 65 of them breeding animals from other areas. Some companies are also building new high-standard farms to raise pigs, according to the county government.

At the Nov 5 meeting, which was attended by more than 400 people, including local government officials, veterinary experts and pig farmers, the county announced all-out efforts to rejuvenate the pork industry, with the aim of increasing local stocks to 500,000 before the Lunar New Year in late January, and to 1 million by August.

It is expected that by early 2021, local stocks will stand at 1.3 million, the level before the African swine fever outbreak.

Assistance measures include paying 300 yuan per head for every sow bought by farmers, and providing an insurance payment of 3,000 yuan for each such animal in case of loss.

The county authorities will also buy special equipment to test for African swine fever, with total investment in restoring pork production amounting to 60 million yuan.