A total of 24,000 tonnes of pork was exported from January to April, down 54.4 per cent from the same period last year. And export value fell 14.1 per cent year on year to US$79.79 million.

However, export price continued to rise. Average pork export price rose 96.4 per cent from a year earlier to US$3,396 per tonne, the highest since last January.

Exports to Hong Kong, a major export destination, dropped 37.3 per cent to 19,000 tonnes, accounting for 79.2 per cent of the total export volume. Meanwhile, the pork exports to Vietnam jumped 58.9 per cent to 1,570 tonnes.

China's three major pork export provinces, Sichuan, Hunan and Guangdong all booked a drop in export volume with decrease rates of 59.3 per cent, 37.7 per cent and 22.6 per cent respectively. The export volumes of the three provinces in May were 6,619, 5,944 and 4,213 tonnes, which jointly accounts for 69.6 per cent China's total pork exports.

Major feed prices for pigs have been increasing fast. For instance, prices of corn and fish powder, etc have hit a record high, which directly leads to the soaring raising cost.

The massive earthquake in Sichuan may further dampen pork exports as the province accounted for 11 per cent of China's total pork output and nearly one third of the exports nationwide.