Thailand denies ASF rumors

The price of pigs in Thailand fell by 15% in the last two weeks of May 2021, from 80 THB/kg ($2.6 ) to 68 THB/kg ($2.2). The fall in prices was the result of Vietnam's ban on the import of live pigs from Thailand and the forced closure of open markets across the country to avoid mass gatherings that could spread Covid-19.

Viet Nam introduced the ban at the end of May after local livestock authorities found 980 ASF-infected pigs sent to the border from Thailand.

Despite this, the Director General of the Thai Livestock Development Department (DLD) Sorawit Tanito denied that the country had been hit by ASF. He promptly instructed border checkpoints to test for ASF on every shipment of pigs sent to Vietnam.

In addition to the ban, low demand for pork in the country, mainly due to the closure of open farmers' markets and the suspension of restaurants and bars, is also affecting the price of live pigs.

However, in the long term, the price is expected to recover soon and reach a new high in the coming months. Fearing the spread of ASF, numerous pig farms in Thailand are eliminating their sows and sending them to Myanmar.

The introduction of gilts or piglets on farms is currently almost impossible. The DLD tightly controls the movement of pigs to minimize the risks associated with ASF. Farms at origin and destination must prove they are free of the virus by testing blood samples. The test must only be conducted in DLD's own laboratories. It is estimated that almost half of the million sows in Thailand have been culled.