China blocks pig, boar imports from Bangladesh due to African swine fever

By Mei Mei Chu

BEIJING (Reuters) - China has prohibited the import of pig, pig products and wild boars from Bangladesh after the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) reported an outbreak of African swine fever at a farm in the country's major port city of Chittagong.

China customs said the move is to protect the safety of the country's livestock industry and prevent the introduction of epidemics.

Animal and plant waste that are unloaded from ships, aircraft and other from of transportation vehicles from Bangladesh must be disposed of under the supervision of customs, it said in a statement.

Farmers in China, who raise half of the world’s pigs, have ramped up the slaughter of tens of millions of pigs since November as they struggled with high costs, low prices and an outbreak of African swine fever.

(Reporting by Mei Mei Chu; Editing by Christopher Cushing and Sonali Paul)