China to reduce number of small slaughterhouses to better control African swine fever

BEIJING (Reuters) – China’s agriculture ministry on Tuesday said it will reduce the number of small-scale slaughterhouses to better prevent and control African swine fever.

There are too many small slaughterhouses in some places in China, equipped with old facilities and backward production techniques, and checks on the pork quality are not done properly, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs said in a statement on its website.

The ministry will start reviewing slaughterhouses in some regions from mid-November and shut down those that do not meet the requirements, the ministry said.