Hog slaughter operations being inspected nationwide

China is zeroing in on its hog slaughter sector to crack down on substandard practices and strengthen testing for viruses, as part of its latest effort to control the spread of African swine fever, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs said recently.

Thorough inspections of all hog slaughter businesses in the country are to be completed before May 1, and those lacking permits for waste disposal or violating disease prevention regulations will be suspended and ordered to make corrections, the ministry said in a statement released on Friday.

If proper corrections are not made before July 1, faulty slaughterhouses will be stripped of their operating permits, the statement said.