Pig prices continue to remain high in China, despite the country’s economic downturn, with little sign of any slowing in demand for imported pork, according to AHDB Pork.
“High price levels (in China) are evidenced by wholesale pork prices, which tend to track pig prices closely,” said AHDB Pork in an analysis of the latest country reports.
“Over the last couple of months wholesales pork prices have fluctuated around 25 yuan/kg (£2.70/kg) and, if anything, have been increasing further in the latest weeks. This would translate into a liveweight pig price of around £2/kg.”
Prices in the country are now almost 50% higher than a year ago. The latest figures also suggest that, despite this recovery in prices, Chinese sow numbers are continuing to fall, as many small farmers have stopped production and are reluctant to restart.
“The situation in the Chinese market suggests that demand for imports will remain strong for some time to come,” said AHDB Pork. “Certainly, shipments have started the year strongly, with volumes in the first two months of 2016 up by more than three-quarters compared with the same period last year.”