China's hog production in first half drops 5.5% to 24.7 million tonnes

BEIJING (Reuters) – China has produced 24.7 million tonnes of pork in the first six months of 2019, down 5.5 percent from a year earlier, according to official data. , while producers are facing a serious outbreak of African swine fever.

Production declined as herd size dropped by 15% from last year to 347.61 million head, according to figures from the National Bureau of Statistics. This represents a 7.4% decrease from the 375.25 million head reported at the end of the first quarter.

The number of pigs slaughtered decreased by 6.2% to 313.46 million animals.

The country's pig herd, the largest in the world, has been devastated by the swine fever epidemic, a virus that swept through China in the past year.

The pace of decline in pork production in the first half of the year was slightly higher than the 5.2% recorded in the first quarter when the country produced 14.63 million tonnes of pork.

The data also show that poultry meat production increased by 5.6% in the first six months, while beef production increased by 2.4% and lamb production increased by 1.4%. %. It did not give volume for individual meats.

Beijing urged poultry producers to increase production to help offset the decline in pork production.

Total meat production, including pork, beef, lamb and poultry, declined 2.1% in the first half to 39 million tonnes.