Smaller pig farms to resume production with increased support

China is ramping up efforts to encourage small- and medium-sized farms to resume pig production, an official with the Ministry of Finance said on Thursday, amid mounting pressure to boost pig supplies after the novel coronavirus outbreak.

The government has expanded the coverage of financial support, and about 160,000 farms that produce more than 500 pigs a year are given access to discount loans, Jiang Dayu, deputy director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs at the Ministry of Finance, told a news conference.

Jiang said the move will effectively help small and medium-sized pig farms to reduce financing costs and rebuild pig herds.

By of the end of January this year, a total of 52.14 billion yuan ($7.36) had been issued in discount loans to pig farms, and the government had allocated 444 million yuan for interest discounts.