BEIJING - Construction of pig farms and rapid restocking will ease tight pork supply from the fourth quarter, an official at China’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs said on Monday.
Stocks of productive sows have increased by 28.6% compared with the level in September 2019, official news agency Xinhua cited Yang Zhenhai, director of the animal husbandry and veterinary bureau under the ministry, as saying at a media briefing.
Sow stocks last September had fallen by 39% from a year earlier, ministry data showed, after African swine fever killed off millions of pigs.
Since then, farmers have been trying to rebuild the herd. Sow stocks in 15 provinces have recovered to more than 85% of their 2017 levels, Yang said, while live pig inventories are at more than 80% of their 2017 levels in 13 provinces.
Nationwide, live hog stocks are up 20.9% from January, he said.
Tight supply of pork will gradually ease after the third quarter, he added, with help from higher imports and an increase of more than 1.2 million tonnes of poultry meat.
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