Inside China
China claims rising sow herd in April
China reports that the sow herd in the country increased by 1,1% in April compared to the previous month. Compared to April 2020, the number of sows in China has even made a giant leap. And that while African swine fever (ASF) has not yet been conquered in the country.
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According to Chinese government data quoted by Reuters, the Chinese sow herd is 23% higher than in April 2020. However, the growth figures are viewed with suspicion. Although China has been carrying out a major recovery program for its own pig production since the outbreak of ASF, the disease has not yet been eradicated. For example, last winter there were outbreaks of ASF in the north and northeast of the country.
High-productivity for low-productivity
According to Reuters, many large pig farms also slaughtered many poorly presenting sows in the first quarter of this year. The number of sows removed from large pig farms in April was 18% higher than the previous month and 96% higher than in April 2020. Sows with low productivity are gradually being replaced by high-productive sows, a government spokesperson explains.
However, according to the Chinese government, the size of the sow herd in April was 97,6% of the population at the end of 2017 before the ASF outbreaks. The number of piglets is therefore 58,8% higher than a year earlier. Based on these data, China concludes that the sow herd has risen to a 'normal level'. China reports that there are now 180.000 large pig farms in the country, without qualifying the term 'large'. At the beginning of 2020, this was still 161.000 pig farms.