Thai authorities have designated 24 provinces as "surveillance areas" for African swine fever and ordered strict animal control with the aim of preventing an outbreak of the disease that has struck neighbouring countries.

Thailand has culled more than 200 pigs this week, authorities said on August 18, in the first such action amid heightened fears of a potential outbreak of African swine fever.

Nguyen Xuan Cuong, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, talks to Kinh tế và Đô thị (Economic & Urban Affairs) newspaper about measures to prevent a food shortage at the end of this year.

African swine fever (ASF) has spread across 62 out of 63 provinces and centrally-run cities in the country, forcing the cull of more than 3.3 million pigs.

Outbreaks of African swine fever have been discovered in 62 provinces and cities across the nation as of July 9, forcing a total of 2.9 million pigs to be culled.

The continuing threat of African swine fever is showing no signs of retreating, pushing livestock farming and animal feed production companies into huge difficulties and even danger of ­bankruptcy.

Vietnam has increased pork imports in the last six months amid the African swine fever epidemic. However, the quality of imports is questionable as Vietnam’s agencies are still weak at quarantine work.

Outbreaks of African swine fever (ASF) were reported in 60 provinces and cities across the country as of June 24, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development’s Department of Animal Health.

Vietnam’s agricultural sector will focus on developing cattle, poultry and aquatic breeding to compensate for a shortage of pork which is expected...

African swine fever has not only caused livestock farming households to fall into debt, but has also made it difficult for animal feed dealers to collect their payments.

Hanoi had culled more than 387,500 farmed pigs infected with African swine fever (ASF), or 20.7 percent of the city’s total herd by June 16.

The central province of Phu Yen on Monday reported its first outbreak of African swine fever in Eabar Commune, Song Hinh District, making it the 58th locality in Vietnam affected by the virus.

The first oubreak of the African swine fever (ASF) epidemic have been discovered at a pig-farming household in HCM City, according to the HCM City Department of Agriculture and Rural Development on June 11.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has called for enhancing prevention and containment efforts in the fight against African swine fever (ASF).

Dozens of pigs infected with African swine fever were culled on Monday in the northern province of Ha Giang by local veterinary sub-department, according to the province's Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

African swine fever (ASF) continued to spread in the north including across the capital Hanoi with more than 120,780 infected pigs already culled, the city’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development said.

Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung on Monday asked the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to complete a draft plan on measures to prevent the spread of African swine fever (ASF).

African swine fever has been successfully controlled in Ngoc Thuy Ward, Long Bien District and Phu Thi Commune, Gia Lam District, according to Ha Noi Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

African swine fever has wreaked havoc in northern Ha Nam Province with all six cities and districts reportedly having detected the outbreak.

 VietNamNet Bridge – African swine fever posed a substantial threat to the pig farming industry despite the measures being taken to stop the disease from spreading,