GUANGZHOU — Vice-Premier Hu Chunhua on Jan 16 called for effective prevention of and control over African swine fever to ensure the country’s pork supply and pig production capacity.

Hu, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks when presiding over a symposium on prevention of and control over the disease.

Hu called for solid efforts in ensuring the supply of pork, the staple meat of the country, especially during the Spring Festival holiday period.

Despite the positive results China has achieved in controlling the spread of the disease, Hu said the situation remained complicated and grave and it was a pressing task to intensify the control efforts.

Hu urged strengthened supervision over pig farms, transportation links and pork plants to ensure that all control efforts are firmly implemented.

Efforts should be taken to strictly and timely address any outbreaks of the disease while enhancing quarantine and monitoring to prevent its spread across regions, he said.

The Spring Festival, or the Chinese Lunar New Year, falls on Feb 5 this year.