China’s sow herd has grown in the first two months of 2021

China’s agriculture ministry reported that its sow herd has grown slightly in January and February of this year, contradicting analyst estimates.
calendar icon 18 March 2021
clock icon 3 minute read

According to reporting in Reuters, China’s sow herd is 34.1% larger in February 2021 compared to the same period in 2020. The Agriculture Ministry also reported that the sow herd has grown 1% from January 2021. These numbers give a more positive outlook than previous estimates from analysts and economists.

China’s sow herd is being actively monitored following reported outbreaks African swine fever (ASF) from farm managers, veterinarians and analysts this winter.

China produces around half of the world’s pigs, but its swine herd was decimated by repeated outbreaks of ASF during 2018 and 2019.

Previous reports from the agriculture ministry said that its pig herd had almost recovered at the end of 2020, but new outbreaks of ASF could delay the full recovery.

Shandong-based Yongyi Consulting has estimated that the sow herd has been declining each month since December, with a 4.99% fall in January and a further 4.68% decline in February.

The ministry said in a statement that sow stocks grew by 1.1% and 1% respectively in January and February.

It added that the country’s total sow herd had reached 95% of end-2017 levels by the end of February, while its hog inventory remained above 400 million head.

Read more about this story here.

© 2000 - 2024 - Global Ag Media. All Rights Reserved | No part of this site may be reproduced without permission.