In South Korea, at least 148,000 pigs were culled during the first three months of 2026 due to outbreaks of African swine fever, ProAgro Group reports, citing data from the country’s Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA) via Pig Progress.
Outbreaks were recorded at 24 farms, mainly in the northeastern regions, where the virus is also circulating among wild boars. Isolated cases have also been identified in other parts of the country. As part of containment measures, around 500 tons of feed were destroyed after laboratory tests detected ASF genetic material.
Experts note that a direct link between contaminated feed and animal infections has not been conclusively proven. At one of the farms where the virus was found in feed, tests of animal carcasses returned negative results.
Since the first ASF cases were reported in 2019, the virus has been detected at 55 pig farms in the country. The total number of culled pigs has exceeded 255,000 and, with new cases, could soon reach 300,000. In 2026 alone, the virus has also been found in more than 1,000 wild boars, complicating containment efforts.
Authorities are strengthening quarantine measures at farms, slaughterhouses and feed production facilities, conducting additional inspections and daily laboratory monitoring.
Separately, the United States Department of Agriculture forecasts a positive outlook for Ukraine’s pig farming sector in 2026. Many new farms built last year are expected to become operational, although the industry will continue to rely on the domestic market due to wartime logistics constraints and ASF-related export restrictions.
Source: AgroPortal
