Thai chicken sales to China rocket as African swine fever triggers switch away from pork

China swine fever

BANGKOK: Thai poultry exports to China have surged eight-fold this year as an outbreak of deadly African swine fever in the world’s biggest consumer of pork stokes a rush to source alternative meat supplies, a Thai industry association said yesterday.

The disease, nearly 100% fatal to pigs and highly contagious with no vaccine though not harmful to humans, has wiped out nearly 40% of the pig herd in China since the first outbreak in August 2018.