Traders Want Govt To Change Cull-all Pig Policy

Pig importers are urging the authorities not to cull all pigs at the government-owned slaughterhouse next time it finds a case of African swine fever there. But they haven't offered any alternative to the measure.

More than 4,000 pigs were culled at Sheung Shui Slaughterhouse at the weekend after officials found one infected pig from the mainland.

The abattoir resumed operations on Thursday after it was shut for five days to be thoroughly cleansed.

This was the second time a pig infected with the virus was found in Hong Kong. The first African swine fever case was confirmed in early May, which resulted in the culling of more than 6,000 pigs. The virus is deadly to pigs but not harmful to humans.

A new arrangement will be enforced at the abattoir from now on, for livestock to be slaughtered within 24 hours of arrival. This will enable the facility to be disinfected daily to minimise the risk of infections.

But, representatives of the trade said culling all the pigs after finding just one case severely affects their business and makes it hard for them to maintain a stable supply of fresh pork.

However, they didn’t make any counter suggestions as to what should be done if a new case is detected. The traders said they will continue talking to the officials about this.