S.Korea on highest alert after African swine fever found (updated)

Harim Co

17/09/2019 02:18

* Infection found at a farm near border with N.Korea
    * Gov't raises its animal disease alert to highest level
    * Temporary nationwide movement ban in place for 48 hours
    * S.Korea has 11.3 mln pigs, plans to cull 4,000

 (Adds company shares movement, and consumption, import,
production data)
    By Joori Roh and Jane Chung
    SEOUL, Sept 17 (Reuters) - South Korea has raised its animal
disease alert to the highest level after discovering its first
outbreak of deadly African swine fever at a pig farm in Paju, a
town near its border with North Korea, the agriculture ministry
said on Tuesday. 
    The case was reported less than four months after North
Korea reported its first outbreak in late May.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL4N2371LL
    Kim Hyeon-soo, South Korea's agriculture minister, told
reporters on Tuesday that in addition to raising the alert
level, nearly 4,000 hogs would be culled to prevent the spread
of the virus. 
    "We will make all efforts to stop the spread of African
swine fever through swift disinfection measures," Kim said.
    The ministry also ordered a nationwide movement ban of hogs
and related livestock for 48 hours while looking into the source
of the virus, he said. 
    African swine fever is highly contagious and nearly 100%
fatal to swine herds. It occurs among pigs and wild boars,
transmitted by ticks and direct contact between animals. There
is no vaccine for the disease, but it does not affect humans.
    The first outbreak of African swine fever in East Asia was
reported in China in early August 2018. Since then, the deadly
virus has spread to all Chinese provinces and regions, as well
as to other Asian nations, including Vietnam and the
Philippines.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL3N2600U6 
    South Korea, Asia's fourth-largest economy, does not import
any pork products or live pigs from China due to China's history
of foot-and-mouth disease outbreaks. It mainly imports from the
United States and Germany, and pork imports account for about a
third of the country's total pork supplies. 
    Although this is the first time African swine fever has hit
South Korea, an incidence of foot-and-mouth disease was
confirmed in March 2018 at a hog farm, the country's first
discovery since February 2017. 
    South Korea has a pig population of 11.3 million, according
to Statistics Korea, and pork, cheaper than beef, is South
Korea's most popular meat, particularly pork belly for barbecue.
Pork consumption per person in 2018 was 27.0 kg, according to
the agriculture ministry data. 
    The outbreak has not yet been reflected in South Korea's
retail pork prices. The average retail price of local pork belly
was 2,013 won ($1.70) per 100 gram (0.22 lb) as of Sept.16, down
from 2,206 won per 100 gram a year earlier, according to data
from state-run Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corp. 
    In the first eight months of this year, South Korea imported
374,961 tonnes of pork, down 3.6% from 388,772 tonnes over the
same period a year earlier, according to customs data. In 2018,
South Korea's pork imports were over 570,000 tonnes. 
    Following the discovery of African swine fever, shares of
animal medicine suppliers Eagle Veterinary Technology
 044960.KQ  and Cheil Bio  052670.KQ  soared as much as 30%. 
     Shares of chicken-related firms including Maniker
 027740.KS  and Harim  136480.KQ  also surged nearly 30%.
 urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL3N26804U 
    
    ($1 = 1,186.90 won)

 (Reporting by Joori Roh and Jane Chung, with additional
reporting by Sangmi Cha; Editing by Darren Schuettler, Leslie
Adler and Tom Hogue)
 ((joori.roh@thomsonreuters.com; +82 2 6936 1493;))