China confident of controlling pig disease
By Bao Daozu (China Daily)
Updated: 2005-08-01 05:26

"We might educate youngsters at school and get them to pass on the information to their families," the Party Secretary of Ziyang Zhong Mian said last week.

According to An, his department will make the inoculation of pigs against the disease compulsory in addition to the two existing compulsory vaccinations against pig-borne bacteria and foot-and-mouth disease.

According to the two officials, however, no compensation will be granted to farmers who now face difficulties selling their animals.

Zhong said the government could not compensate farmers if their animals die from disease.

The government cannot afford the expenses, Zhong said, adding that normally 50,000 of around 5 million pigs raised in Ziyang die from disease every year.

"If the government compensates farmers 1,000 yuan (US$120) for each dead animal, it will be a huge expenditure every year," Zhong said.

In Sichuan, which is known for animal husbandry, most farmers earn at least part of their income from raising pigs.

For Wang Xingcheng, a farmer infected with the disease, two-thirds of his family's income came from raising pigs, his daughter said.

Low-income families, who pay a lot for piglets, animal inoculations and feed, suffer a huge loss if they are not compensated for being unable to sell or eat their sick animals.

According to An, farmers in Ziyang sell around three-fifths of their home-raised pigs for private slaughter or to small or medium-sized food companies, who then trade the meat to markets. "One-fifth are killed and consumed by farmers themselves," An said, adding that another portion was sold to large companies engaged in meat export.