China begins release of emergency pork reserves due to African swine fever epidemic

For story suggestions or custom animation requests, contact [email protected]. Visit http://archive.nextanimationstudio.com to view News Direct's complete archive of 3D news animations. RESTRICTIONS: Broadcast: NO USE JAPAN, NO USE TAIWAN Digital: NO USE JAPAN, NO USE TAIWAN As the African swine fever epidemic has already wiped out one third of the pig population in China, the Chinese government is releasing frozen pork from its emergency pork reserves to keep prices down. The disease is typically spread through bites by infectious ticks, contact through infected animals, contact with objects containing the virus, or by ingesting the meat of infected animals, according to the European Food Safety Authority. Farmers are wary of raising live pigs due to the large number of deaths of pigs caused by African swine fever. To increase the hog population, China's central government has instructed local governments to provide subsidies to larger pig farms to encourage them to raise more pigs. Some local governments have taken to issuing ration coupons and discounts to counterbalance the rising pork prices. If China's pork supply is not enough to meet demand, the country would need to start importing from pig farms in European markets. China's meat reserve was created in 1996 to help stabilize meat prices during an emergency, according to the South China Morning Post. RUNDOWN SHOWS: 1. Map of China and how much of the pig population has already been wiped out due to the African swine fever epidemic 2. The local government providing pig farmers subsidies 3. How local governments are trying to counterbalance the rising pork prices 4. China's frozen pork supply and what the country could do if its pork reserves are not enough to meet demand VOICEOVER (in English): "As the African swine fever epidemic has already wiped out one third of the pig population in China, the Chinese government is releasing frozen pork from its emergency pork reserves to keep prices down." "The disease is typically spread through bites by infectious ticks, contact through infected animals, contact with objects containing the virus, or by ingesting the meat of infected animals, according to the European Food Safety Authority." "African swine fever is spread by the DNA virus of the Asfarviridae family, according to the World Organization for Animal Health." "The World Organisation for Animal Health states that symptoms of the disease include high fever, redness on the ears, abdomen, and legs, as well as diarrhea." "To increase the hog population, China's central government has instructed local governments to provide subsidies to larger pig farms to encourage them to raise more pigs." "Some local governments have even taken to issuing ration coupons and discounts to counterbalance the rising pork prices." "Citing an analyst at China Merchant Securities, the South China Morning Post reports that China's entire frozen pork reserve is around 990,000 tonnes." "If China's pork supply is not enough to meet demand, the country would need to start importing from pig farms in European markets." SOURCES: Business Times, South China Morning Post, CNN, Reuters, World Organization for Animal Health https://en.businesstimes.cn/articles/... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-ec... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-ec... https://edition.cnn.com/2019/09/04/bu... https://graphics.reuters.com/CHINA-SW... https://www.oie.int/en/animal-health-... *** ---------------------------------------­­---------------------------------------­-­--------------- Next Animation Studio’s News Direct service provides daily, high-quality, informative 3D news animations that fill in for missing footage and help viewers understand breaking news stories or in-depth features on science, technology, and health. Sign up for a free trial of News Direct's news animations at http://newsdirect.nextanimationstudio... To subscribe to News Direct or for more info, please visit: http://newsdirect.nextanimationstudio...