China plans to raise pigs as big as polar bears to counter effects of swine flu outbreak

The goal is to raise pigs weighing up to 500 kg. The average weight of a pig is 100-110 kg. It is estimated that this year there will be a shortage of about 10 million tonnes of pork.

Beijing (AsiaNews/Agencies) – As a result of the swine flu, which doubled the price of pork, China is breeding pigs as big as polar bears, up to 500 kg.

A normal pig usually weighs 100-110 kg, but in many places, they are going for super-size. This is the case on a farm in Nanning, Guangxi, but also in Jilin where hog farmers are trying to breed heavy animals: 175-200 kg. In some large-scale farms, the weight of pigs has reached as much as 140 kg.

Chinese Vice-Premier Hu Chunhua warned that the supply situation would be “extremely severe” until the first half of 2020 since more than half of the livestock had to be culled.

The government has already released 10,000 tonnes of frozen pork from its strategic reserves.  But it is estimated that the country will face a pork shortage of 10 million tonnes this year.

• china
• pigs
• swine fever
• shortages
• super-size