China’s agriculture ministry has issued to divide the country into five regions to be charged with greater responsibility to prevent and control African swine fever, as well as other animal diseases, according to a report from Reuters.
The decision comes after a fresh wave of ASF hit the northern region and some provinces, causing significant losses in the world’s largest hog herd which is still recovering from the last mass-outbreak.
China had previously piloted the regional control system in six provinces in the south. Under the new plan, the whole country will be divided into five regions. Each region will be tasked to ensure timely reporting of disease outbreaks, assess risks and put forward control policies.
Disease-free zones will be established within each regions and no pigs apart from breeding pigs and piglets are to be moved in or out of the designation region, the ministry said.
A trial of the system in the south did reduce some disease, said Pan Chenjun, senior analyst at Rabobank, adding: “The situation in the south was a bit better than the north.”
