March 8 (Reuters) - Following are selected highlights from a report issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service post in Beijing:
“China’s hog herd recovery in 2021 will be bolstered by larger sow inventories and high pork prices. However, animal disease outbreaks will moderate pork production. Domestic pork prices will encourage both swine operation expansion and strong imports. China’s cattle herd will continue increasing in 2021 as producers expand their herd in response to strong domestic beef prices. Although, beef production will be constrained by competitive beef imports and high feed prices. E-commerce, cold-chain logistics, and changing consumer preferences for chilled beef will be important drivers in expanding beef consumption beyond China’s 1st tier cities.”
“Pork Production: Pork production in 2021 is forecast to increase by 14% following record low rates in 2020 as expansions by large companies over the last two years come into use. However, even with expansion in 2021, pork production will remain below pre-ASF (African swine fever) levels, keeping domestic prices relatively strong.”
“Pork Imports: Competitively priced imported pork and pork products will continue being an important component of the domestic pork supply. Pork imports in 2021 are forecast to reach 4.5 million metric tons as consumers are increasingly receptive to chilled or frozen pork.”
To read the full report, click here.
(Reporting by Julie Ingwersen Editing by Sonya Heinstall)
