New York (CNN Business) African swine fever is plaguing China's pork production. The disease is killing multitudes of animals, hitting the global pork supply chain, and driving up prices.

To meet China's insatiable demand for pork products, the country is turning to imports, which are expected to hit a record high in 2019. The European Union, Brazil, Canada and the United States are providing the goods.

"China normally accounts for 49% of global pork consumption, while consuming 28% of the world's meat supply," said Arlan Suderman, chief commodities economist at INTL FCStone. "As such, this is a big problem for China, and we expect it to be a five to seven year problem before production can be restored."

While prices for lean hog futures — which are traded like other agricultural products such as corn or soy — have skyrocketed, the difference between wholesale and retail pork prices in the United States has been stable over the past few months, according to data from the USDA.

Read More