Reports have emerged today (20 January) that compensation has been paid to pig farmers impacted by the African swine fever (ASF) epidemic to offset the losses experienced in 2019. It is hoped this compensation will allow farmers to resume farming, rebuild their businesses and stabilise the pork market.

According to CGTN, around 467,000 pig farmers were compensated in Henan where pig stocks had dropped by 24.7 percent in the fourth quarter of 2019 compared to 2018 figures.

In a statement published online, China's agriculture minister urged authorities to prevent a recurrence of ASF outbreaks. Relevant departments must work to achieve this year's pig production recovery goal, said Han Changfu,. The ASF situation was stable in 2019, and control and prevention measures against the deadly disease were effective, he added.

Han also urged the authorities to strengthen on-the-ground checks of the data on pig production and make sure the data is reliable.

Beijing has released more than 200,000 tonnes of frozen pork from state reserves since early December to make up for a hit to market supply after the disease knocked out 21 percent of pork production in the world's top consumer last year.