China’s 2019 pork production hits 16-year low due to swine flu

BEIJING-China’s 2019 pork production sunk to 16 years of inactivity, data showed on Friday as the African swine influenza dispatched millions of pigs in world’s leading producer of pork.

China tallied 42.44 million tonnes of pork last year, lower than the 21.3% record from 2018 and the lowest production for the last 16 years beginning in 2003, according to data released by National Bureau of Statistics.

The African swine flu had spread across the country in 2018, killing millions of pork but does not have a negative effect to humans when consumed. In line, China’s food prices increased and pork price hiked up amid production scarcity, boosting the economy’s inflation rate to an eight-year high.

From the initial report of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, the country’s pig herd shed 41% back in October but recovered 2% in November. Moreover, NBS released data showing a total of 27% loss from 2019.

Some analysts and market internals were doubtful of the released statistics, believing that the setback was bigger.