China’s quarterly pork output has reached its highest level in 3 years

China recently reported the highest quarterly pork output (January to March) in more than three years, reflecting the increase in breeding rates that followed a disease-driven decline.

According to data from the National Bureau of Statistics, China produced 15.61 million tonnes of pork in the first three months of the year, up 14% from a year earlier. That was the highest quarterly production since the last quarter of 2018.

“The production level seen in this first quarter was only possible given the size of the herd in the first half of last year, which reached 45.64 million head at the end of the second quarter of 2021, a new record in the recent cycle,” said Wang Zuli from the Institute of Agricultural Economics and Development of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences.

China slaughtered 195.66 million hogs from January to March, up 14.1% a year earlier.

China’s pork production hit 52.96 million tonnes last year, down from 53.4 million tonnes in 2017. Production is quickly rebounding from a devastating outbreak of African swine fever that swept the country in 2018 and 2019.

By 2019, the illness wiped off half of all hog farms in the country. However, supply has rebounded considerably quicker than predicted, putting pressure on pricing as lockdowns across China reduce the demand from restaurants.

According to Wang, China’s hog herd is expected to fall in the short future due to poor hog margins; however, a recent spike in pork prices may prevent a significant decline.

The statistics bureau said the pig herd had fallen to 422.53 million head at the end of March from 449.22 million head at the end of December.

Source: Money Times

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