German pig farmers enjoying boom in Chinese exports
German pig farmers are thriving thanks to a surge in demand from China after exporting half a million tonnes of pork to the country last year.
China has suffered a 10 percent reduction in domestic production of pork in the aftermath of the African swine fever epidemic in 2018 and has turned to Europe to satisfy demand.
Germany is the second biggest supplier of pork to China, topped only by Spain, and has continued to export in high volume during the pandemic.
Pig farmer Wilken Langreder says the increase in demand has been great for business: “We raise a lot of pigs in Germany, and of course the exports are positive for German pork prices and pork sales,”
African swine fever is fatal to pigs but the disease hasn’t reached Germany, despite an outbreak amongst wild boars in neighbouring Poland.
Germany’s success in shielding its pigs from infection has been the result of a thorough protective process, which mirrors the country’s vigilance in tackling COVID-19.
Read full article Share on twitter