BEIJING, China (Global Times) — In the Year of the Pig, China’s traditional hog farming industry is undergoing tremendous changes as both big and small farms revamp themselves to combat one of the world’s worst animal diseases.

Hit by outbreaks of African swine fever, China’s pig herd shrank by some 40 percent year on year in recent months, causing pork prices to increase and pushing authorities to take measures to stabilize supply.

While the disease has posed challenges to farmers, it also accelerated the shift of China’s hog production from backyard pigpens to large-scale, standardized farms with better biosecurity measures and environmental treatment facilities, analysts said.