Article

2019-05-04 China-Japan-Koreas

China's pig ‘Ebola' outbreak 'will move markets, influence geopolitics' for years to come

[RT] A minor outbreak of African swine fever among some 400 pigs in Shenyang in northeastern China is now threatening the global food supply chain and may increase pork prices for years.

Despite a mass cull, a blockade to prevent any further transmission and a government declaration that the outbreak of the particularly nasty strain of swine fever had been “effectively controlled,” China, the country with half of the world’s pigs, failed to stop the spread of the disease in time. Domestically, this contagion is already massive: China has a $128 billion pork industry and is third-highest global consumer of pork.

In the truest sense of the word, the outbreak has already gone viral, spreading to Mongolia, Vietnam, Cambodia and farther afield. The strain of African swine fever kills virtually every pig it infects with a bloody death reminiscent of Ebola, although it is not known to infect humans.

“It’s the biggest thing to affect the animal-protein market this year, and will probably have a lasting effect for a number of years,”said Angus Gidley-Baird, a commodities analyst with Rabobank in Sydney. “It will move markets and possibly influence geopolitical situations.”

Official estimates in China count one million culled pigs so far but many expect 100 times that number will be eradicated in 2019. The US Department of Agriculture is predicting a decline of 134 million animals from Chinese hog populations, equivalent to almost one-and-a-half times the entire US inventory of 75 million pigs.

Effects have already been seen on the other side of the globe. The price of bacon in Spain already jumped 20 percent in March owing to increased Chinese demand, while wholesale pork prices in China are reportedly up 19 percent from 2018 levels, and rising.

Posted by Skidmark 2019-05-04 00:00|| || Front Page|| [18 views ] Top

#1 Don't mess up Smithfield like you did china. You suck at everything commie idiots. Why don't you ACT and BE on the Level with US? Stop acting like thieves and back stabbers and all that other Horrible shit you do. You are NOT acting like a great country. You are acting like you could be a great country - yet you have none of those features at all. It makes me weary of your ascendance

Yet, from what I can tell, you are too lazy to do your own homework so you will fall apart fast.

And when faced BY GOD, you will Un-Ravel.

Get Real with Me, China.

Posted by newc 2019-05-04 01:29|| 2019-05-04 01:29|| Front Page Top

#2 They are estimating that they had to destroy over 100 million pigs.

Talk about standing the worlds food supply on its ear.

Word to the wise never buy food products that originate in China.

Posted by Sock Puppet of Doom 2019-05-04 12:49|| 2019-05-04 12:49|| Front Page Top

#3 Word to the wise never buy food products that originate in China.
Good luck with that! Working at a fluid milk plant I was *unpleased* several years ago to notice that the bulk food additives, food chemicals in 55-gallon drums, were from Mainland China. Knowing their track record on things like baby formula...

Posted by magpie 2019-05-04 15:55|| 2019-05-04 15:55|| Front Page Top

#4 Check where your pharm-acy buys its generics. It often from China and lately you have been getting bonus carcinogens in every p1ll.

Posted by Wheamp Cleash5391 2019-05-04 16:00|| 2019-05-04 16:00|| Front Page Top

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