Betsy Freese, executive editor of Successful Farming, recently spent a week in China on a market study tour with U.S. farmers, swine and beef producers and other agricultural business people. She focuses on four points about African swine fever (AFS) shared, seven items a U.S.-based company she was not allowed to name stated and nine statements Chinese officials put forth.
Source: Successful Farming, March 13, 2019. Link. Keep in mind that at a dinner earlier in the week, a meat export expert in China (again, we were later asked not to identify anyone by name) talked to use about the status of ASF. “African swine fever is very bad. There are reported cases all across the country, but many cases are not reported. They have found the disease in sausage, in processed meat, and in dumplings. Although the government repeatedly tells consumers that is has nothing to do with the health of the human, people are still concerned. Pork consumption is going down.”
INSIGHTS: Take note of Freese’s reporting and the lack of truthful information shared by Chinese officials. Biosecurity measures taken by U.S. farmers are proper and are rightfully noted. What is eerily unclear and concerning is the unknown reason she was asked not to name the U.S.-based feed ingredient supplier. A primary tenet of crisis communications is to be truthful and transparent. Let’s hope we can expect such should ASF become a problem in this country.