Advertisement
China floods: Henan farmers see livelihoods washed away, face African swine fever worries
- Henan province, which is famous for agriculture, and pork production in particular, was left paralysed by floods last week
- Many farmers returned to pig raising and expanded their herds to capitalise on high prices after African swine fever swept the country in 2018 and 2019
Reading Time:2 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
Chinese farmer Cheng wades through knee-deep water, pulling dead pigs behind him one-by-one by a rope tied around their ankles as he lines up the bloated carcasses for disposal.
Advertisement
More than 100 of Cheng’s pigs drowned in floods that paralysed China’s central Henan province last week, and the outlook for those left alive is bleak.
“I’m waiting for the water levels to go down to see what to do with the remaining pigs,” said the 47-year-old farmer from Wangfan village, about 90km (55 miles) north of provincial capital Zhengzhou.
“They’ve been in the water for a few days now and can’t eat at all. I don’t think even one pig will be left.”
We now have no way of surviving. We have no other skills. We have no more money to raise pigs again
Cheng’s farm is one of thousands in Henan, famous for agriculture, and pork production in particular. The province was struck by heavy rains last week that sparked the worst flash flooding in centuries, catching many by surprise.
Advertisement
Advertisement