0
South Africa’s largest recorded outbreak of African swine fever (ASF) in commercial piggeries, which affected farms, North of Pretoria during the 2025/26 season, has been contained. The affected farms have been depopulated and are expected to return to full production within 12 to 18 months. However, ASF remains an ongoing threat, particularly among smaller and informal pig producers, where quarantine, lost production and restocking costs can create significant financial pressure.
Meanwhile, disruptions to local production and increased imports initially pushed wholesale pork prices from about R32/kg to around R40/kg. With commercial farms recovering and imported pork increasing supply, prices have since eased to approximately R30/kg as supply temporarily exceeds demand. The market is expected to gradually rebalance, with prices likely to stabilise closer to the long-term average of about R32/kg. Consumers can also remain confident that pork sold through formal retail channels is safe, as ASF and FMD are animal diseases and do not pose a health risk to humans through the consumption of pork.
August 3, 2026/South Africa/
https://www.foodformzansi.co.za/
