May 19, 2008

China's pork output may drop in short term 

Pork production in China may decline and prices could rise after an earthquake last week hit the country's biggest lean-hog producing area, a Chinese analyst said.

The earthquake hit Sichuan, the province that accounts for about a 10th of China's total pork production.

Although pork production from the province may drop as much as 15 percent in the near term, the impact should be limited as the affected areas are mostly in the mountains.

Issues such as disrupted transport network and other logistics should be sorted out by September, the company said.