China: Livestock and Products Annual

In 2022, China’s hog production is forecast to decline by 5 percent. Low prices and disease outbreaks in 2021 led to significant slaughter and delayed restocking. Pork production in 2022 will decline by 14 percent as fewer hogs come to market and government policies designed to limit price fluctuations inadvertently undermine expansion. Pork imports will rise to 5.1 million MT as consumer demand for pork exceeds domestic production. Cattle and beef production will grow slowly in 2022. High beef prices will encourage investments by large producers. However, small producers with poor herd genetics and space constraints will continue to dominate production. Cattle imports will be stable at 350,000 head. Beef imports will grow to reach 3.3 million MT, but at a slower rate, as high beef prices are balanced by more diverse beef suppliers entering the market.