China making progress in rebuilding pig population, but supply gap likely to last at least until 2021
- China’s pig population was first devastated by the African swine fever last year before being hit again by the coronavirus pandemic
- Pork prices have also soared as a result, with the government responding by releasing a record amount from its frozen pork reserves this year
China claims to have made significant progress towards rebuilding the nation’s pig production that was first devastated by African swine fever and then hit by the coronavirus pandemic, although experts believe it will take at least another year for pork supply problems to be solved.
There are now 171,000 pig farms across the country with an annual output of over 500 pigs, up from 161,000 at the beginning of the year, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.
Around 23,000 pig farms were either opened or resumed operations so far this year, with 2,030 new farms built last month alone, official data showed.
“The turning point is just around the corner,” said Feng Yonghui, chief analyst at meat industry portal Soozhu.com.
To further ease supply tensions ahead of the traditional spike in demand during the “golden week” holiday that starts with National Day on October 1, the government auctioned a further 20,000 tonnes of frozen pork reserves on Friday, bringing the total this year to a record high of 590,000 tonnes.
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Raise a pig remotely amid the coronavirus pandemic in China