Vietnam limits pig sales to China due to PPRS

As from Saturday, 26 April, pigs sold to China should not come from or be transported via provinces now battling “blue ear” disease, said Deputy Agriculture Minister Bui Ba Bong.

It is reported that this move may trigger price rises in China, which faced record pork prices in 2007 due to shortages following infection by Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome disease in almost half of China in 2006, leading to the slaughter of about 1 mln pigs.

So far this year, over 215,000 pigs, which is still less than 1% of Vietnam’s pig stock, have been infected in 10 provinces, however, outbreaks are spreading quickly, said the Agriculture Ministry’s Animal Health Department.