China confirms new African swine fever outbreak in Beijing

China’s agriculture ministry said on Monday it has confirmed a new African swine fever outbreak on a farm in capital city Beijing, as well as two other outbreaks in Shaanxi and Heilongjiang provinces.

In the capital, the outbreak was reported on a farm with 9,835 pigs in the Tongzhou district, according to a statement published on the website of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs. The ministry said 17 had died of the disease, which is fatal to pigs but does not affect people.

A second outbreak of the highly contagious disease was found on a boar farm in Heilongjiang, killing 77 of a total of 375 animals, the agriculture ministry said.

The case reported in Shaanxi province was found on a farm in Xi’an, capital of the province, with 245 pigs. Some 79 of the 205 pigs infected by the disease had died, the ministry said.

China in the week ended November 22 bought 3,348 tonnes of pork to be shipped this year, USDA said, its largest purchase for the current season since February.

China also bought 9,384 tonnes of pork for shipment next year, accounting for 72 percent of the total weekly sales to all countries.

Combined, they were the biggest weekly sales to China since April 2017, sending US hog futures LHG9 up more than 4 percent.

China in the week ended November 22 bought 3,348 tonnes of pork to be shipped this year, USDA said, its largest purchase for the current season since February.

China also bought 9,384 tonnes of pork for shipment next year, accounting for 72 percent of the total weekly sales to all countries.

Combined, they were the biggest weekly sales to China since April 2017, sending US hog futures LHG9 up more than 4 percent.