African swine fever destroying small pig farms, as factory farming booms – report

China is worst hit as lack of financial support leaves small-scale farms struggling to survive while big companies continue to expand

Small farmers across the globe are losing out in the aftermath of the African swine fever (ASF) outbreak that killed a quarter of the world's pig population, argues a new report.

Nowhere is this more evident than China, where swine fever has hit the country's nearly 40 million small-scale pig farmers hardest, says the report by non-profit organisation Grain.