China's pork industry experienced lower outputs during the first quarter of 2020. Compared to 2019, this year's values rendered China as the most affected country by the African swine fever that diminished its hog herd despite being the world's biggest pig producer.
This Friday, China's Bureau of National Statistics revealed data that its pork output during the first quarter of the year declined by 29.1 percent from 2019 values at only 10.38 million tons. The cause of the decline was leaned towards the adverse effects of the African swine flu fever to the country's pig production industry that significantly decreased its hog herd.
The result was a record 16-year low compared to 2019's 42.6 million ton after the African swine flu hit the industry. The disease was rendered deadly to all pigs but did not affect people. It, however, killed millions of hogs that diminished the production capacity of China as the world's biggest producer of the product.
Market experts claimed that China's sow herd decreased by at least 60 percent in 2019 after the Swine flu spread across the country. The same was experienced although largely unreported since 2018.
Chinese farmers claimed that they continue to rebuild their respective hog businesses, but it would take more time for them to reach the pork output goal. They noted that declines are also expected this year due to travel restrictions imposed by the government to contain the pandemic, which even hurts global supply and demand for pigs.
Production rates for the first quarter of the year showed that the pandemic also caused declines for the industry. Slaughterhouses were shut under governmental mandate due to the pandemic last February. Beijing also extended the Lunar New Year holiday to contain the outbreak that also cut pig slaughter yields. The industry, however, rebounded in March when farmers produced overweight pigs for the Chinese market.
In other news, the African swine flu continues to ravage the Chinese economy as new confirmed cases in the eastern province of Jiangsu were discovered, said the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs in a statement.
The outbreak was first detected in Muyang county in Jiangsu through 17 hogs illegally transported into the area. Three of the pigs died.
The ministry also revealed that the African swine flu significantly decreased China's pig herd by at least 40 percent in recent weeks. The industry also warned to expect further losses as the swine flu continues to spread throughout the country. The ministry suggested that farmers should be warry in restocking their herds and refrain from transacting through illegal imports of hogs.
