The main problem affecting the development of China's pig farming industry is the issue of swine infectious diseases -- 2007

　　Nearly 1,000 representatives from more than 10 countries and regions, including the US, UK, and Australia, gathered in Wuhan on April 23 to attend the 3rd Asian Swine Disease Society Academic Conference hosted by Huazhong Agricultural University.

　　Chen Huanchun, President of the Asian Swine Disease Society, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, and professor at Huazhong Agricultural University, introduced at the meeting that China's pig farming industry has developed rapidly in recent years and occupies an important position in the world's pig farming industry: In the past five years, China's annual average increase in live pig inventory has been 14%, reaching 490 million in 2005, accounting for 51% of the world's total inventory. Pig farming has become a pillar industry of China's agriculture and rural economy.

　　China has abundant pig genetic resources and occupies a very important position in the world's pig genetic resource composition. According to incomplete statistics, there are 118 pig breeds in China, accounting for about 1/3 of the world's pig breeds. China's rapidly developing pig farming industry is plagued by three major diseases. Old diseases are not easily eradicated, and new diseases are constantly emerging, making the pig disease situation increasingly complex and prevention and control more difficult.

　　Academician Chen Huanchun introduced that the main problem currently affecting the development of China's pig farming industry is swine infectious diseases. The most serious are respiratory diseases, followed by reproductive disorders, and thirdly diarrhea and other diseases. These diseases have high morbidity and mortality rates, causing huge economic losses to China's pig farming industry.

　　According to Chen Huanchun's analysis, one of the reasons why pig diseases in China are becoming increasingly complex is the frequent introduction of improved breeds from abroad. With the continuous introduction of foreign improved pig breeds, pig diseases have also been introduced into China, resulting in a "gathering of global pig diseases in China".

　　In addition, with the rapid development of large-scale pig farming in China, pigs' resistance to diseases has decreased in the closed and intensive farming environment, making it easier for diseases to occur and infectious diseases to have great epidemic potential. It is reported that in the past, the proportion of farmers' scattered pig farming accounted for 90%, and factory farming accounted for less than 10%. However, China's pig farming model has undergone a huge change, with factory farming rising to 33% and scattered farming by farmers decreasing to 67%.

　　Under the pressure of diseases, the abuse of antibiotics has become a common phenomenon in the pig farming industry. Chen Huanchun introduced that to better control pig diseases, an important approach is to use vaccines for prevention and control. This not only reduces the abuse of antibiotics but is also more economical and safe, does not produce drug residues, and produces safe "green pork".

　　Huazhong Agricultural University has been conducting research on new vaccines and simple and rapid diagnostic methods for pig diseases for many years. It has now developed several vaccines for major infectious diseases, which have been applied in practice.