China to release more frozen pork from reserves in time for holidays

It will also further increase imports and diversify sources of the meat, state broadcaster CCTV reports, citing commerce ministry

Incurable pig disease African swine fever has killed millions of hogs in the country, causing a major shortage

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China’s pig herd has shrunk pig by more than 40 per cent because of the African swine fever outbreak. Photo: Reuters

Published: 5:14pm, 30 Dec 2019Updated: 10:41pm, 30 Dec 2019

China will release more frozen pork from its reserves ahead of the upcoming New Year and Lunar New Year holidays, state-owned CCTV reported, citing the commerce ministry.

It comes amid a huge shortage of meat in the country, after the incurable pig disease African swine fever killed millions of the country’s hogs and the pig herd shrank by more than 40 per cent.

China will also further increase its pork imports and diversify the import origins of the meat, Wang Bin, deputy director of the market operation department under the Ministry of Commerce said, according to CCTV.

The country will also release frozen beef and mutton in areas inhabited by ethnic minorities, the report said.

Beijing has already released more than 100,000 tonnes of frozen pork from state reserves since mid-December, CCTV reported, citing Wang.

Analysts expect pork will remain in high demand as China prepares to celebrate the Lunar New Year starting on January 25, the peak consumption period for the meat.