March 20, 2020

China's poultry and egg output this year on par with 2019 

Wei Hongyang, a Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs' animal husbandry and veterinary bureau official said production in 2020 is expected to be the same as last year, even with disruptions caused by COVID-19, reported Reuters.

In February, a movement restriction imposed due to COVID-19 meant that China's poultry farmers were unable to feed their birds or send them to slaughter, which forced some farmers to cull their birds.

However, Wei said 80% of poultry facilities in China have already resumed production because of its short production cycle.

Output for poultry in China grew 12% in 2019, hitting 22.39 million tonnes as poultry farmers became key to supplementing dwindling pork supplies caused by the African swine fever (ASF) outbreak in the country.

Wei said pork production has recovered too, with a reported 1.7% increase in sow stocks last month compared to the start of the year. This is the fifth consecutive monthly rise.

Wei added ASF could make a return this year with China boosting swine output.

-      Reuters