Latest news with #price drop
South China Morning Post
24-07-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
China cuts back on pork as excess hog supply drives down prices
In response to a persistent oversupply of pigs that has contributed to a steep drop in pork prices, China's agricultural authorities have announced concrete plans to cut back on the country's breeding stock. 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 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.
South China Morning Post
24-07-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
China cuts back on pork as excess hog supply drives down prices
In response to a persistent oversupply of pigs that has contributed to a steep drop in pork prices, China's agricultural authorities have announced concrete plans to cut back on the country's breeding stock. 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 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.
South China Morning Post
22-07-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
HK$40 cherries in Hong Kong? Why US-China trade war means sweet savings
A bitter trade dispute between Washington and Beijing has delivered an unexpected windfall for Hong Kong shoppers, with a glut of diverted US cherries flooding the market and bringing prices for some shipments to their lowest levels in two decades. Advertisement Stalls in the bustling Yau Ma Tei Wholesale Fruit Market are now offering the popular summer fruit from Washington state for as little as HK$40 (US$5.10) a pound, a steep discount from past years. The price is partly a consequence of high tariffs imposed on US goods by China under the tit-for-tat escalation in the trade war between the two countries. The total tariff rate on American cherries stood at 58 per cent as of mid-June, according to an industry publication. The measure prompted suppliers to divert large quantities of the highly perishable fruit to tariff-free Hong Kong, which operates as a separate customs entity distinct from mainland China. A senior sales specialist, surnamed Cheng, at major fruit importer Kingo Fruits (HK) said on Tuesday that the entire Yau Ma Tei market might have processed around 8,000 cartons of airfreighted cherries a day at its peak last year. Advertisement This year, the daily volume had surged to as high as 12,000 cartons at its peak, he said.
