PigProgress
China’s pig production will grow 19% in 2021
The aggressive capacity expansion of large-scale farms in 2020 has driven an estimated increase in slaughter pigs for China. In 2021, the number is expected to grow by 19.2%, reaching 613 million head. Total pork production is forecast at 49.27 million tonnes, an increase of 19.8% year-on-year.
“It is expected that the supply of slaughter pigs will increase significantly from the fourth quarter of 2021,” said Dr Zhu Zengyong, chief analyst on pork trade under China’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA). “The annual domestic pork production of nearly 50 million tonnes plus imported pork is basically close to the 2017 pork supply level.”
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Beijing: At an upscale supermarket west of Beijing, a box of disposable gloves stands in front of a glass counter selling Australian beef. Next to it is a sign saying: âPlease buy this with peace of mind.â
âAll the imported meats here have undergone nucleic acid testing. Consumers need not worry,â promises Li Xingzhen, a manager at Ole supermarket, which imports about 70 per cent of its groceries.
Her pledge offers a look at the new challenges facing retailers as many Chinese shoppers grow reluctant to buy overseas food products after COVID-19 infections were reported among people handling such items.
The consumer distrust is being fueled at least partly by statements from the government, which has taken increasingly drastic steps to curb the risk of the virus spreading via food imports.