January 20, 2022

 

China's pork production in 2022 the highest in eight years

 

 

 

China's total pork production reached 55.41 million tonnes, the most since 56.71 million tonnes were recorded eight years ago. The output in 2021 was 52.96 million tonnes.

 

Production increased thanks to high fourth-quarter production of 13.91 million tonnes, based on data from China's National Bureau of Statistics. That is a 0.87% increase from the same year-earlier quarter despite a labour shortage in slaughterhouses caused by COVID-19 outbreaks.

 

Chinese farmers grew larger swine to to gain from the projected improvement in demand and prices, which could have increased output.

 

Despite rising COVID-19 cases in China, which kept many people at home and drove down pork prices, demand for the meat had remained muted.

 

The data reveals that despite weak demand, China's pork production has climbed each quarter over the past two years.

 

The average weight of live swine has decreased, but analysts at Huachuang Agriculture said it was still high last week at roughly 124.5 kg, adding that this would keep prices under pressure.

 

Following China's reopening from a tight three-year COVID-19 policy, meat consumption is expected to increase due to an increase in group dining and business events.

 

But given that many people are still wary of large crowds, some believe that pork consumption may not return to the levels it was at, before China's African swine fever outbreak that started in 2018.

 

The report also indicated that China produced more beef last year, up 3% to 7.18 million tonnes, more poultry, up 2.6% to 24.43 million tonnes, and more lamb and mutton, up 2% to 5.25 million tonnes.

 

-      Channel News Asia