China cuts back on pork as excess hog supply drives down prices
Measures should be taken to reasonably
cull the sow population , reduce secondary fattening – feeding hogs past standard slaughter weights to increase margins – and strictly control new capacity to address the issue, said Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Han Jun at a meeting on Wednesday.
The announcement comes as pig, chicken and duck farmers across the country
report deep losses and mounting financial pressure.
Analysts noted weak end-market demand and high inventory levels are weighing heavily on the sector, and while marginal improvements are expected in the second half of the year, the overall scope for recovery remains limited.
'This round of losses has lasted more than seven months, unlike anything the industry has experienced before,' said Liu Changsheng, head of the Shandong Duck Breeding Alliance industry group, in an interview with financial news platform CLS.cn.
According to the National Bureau of Statistics, by the end of June the national breeding sow inventory stood at 40.43 million – down 370,000 from its peak in 2024, but still 3.7 per cent above the official target of 39 million.
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