October 22, 2019

EU pork exports to China to continue to rise, European Commission report shows
 
 

The European Union should continue to see a rise in pork exports, based on a short-term outlook report by the European Commission.

The trend is linked to an increase in demand from Asia due to the outbreak of African swine fever in the region. According to the report, the EU's pig meat consumption per capita is expected to fall by 2% (0.5kg) this year.

ASF is seen a key factor that will continue to push EU exports to Asia. China, one of Asian nations most severely affected by the disease, is predicted to have lost around a third of its total pig herd as of July 2019. Pig deaths are likely to persist for now.

In the first seven months of this year, the EU's exports o pig meat to China increased by 45% year-on-year. Furthermore, Chinese demand for EU pig meat is expected to continue to grow in the third and fourth quarters of 2019 and into 2020.

EU pork production is expected to remain stable, with just a 0.4% increase for 2019, though there were reductions in the pig breeding herd in the June census.

- Pig World