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Shining Light on Farm & Food Policy for 20 Years.
Friday, November 08, 2024
China is buying unprecedented levels of U.S. corn, and much of that demand comes from the country’s race to modernize its pork production – a mission that’s expected to sustain a long-term increased reliance on grain and oilseed imports, according to U.S. government and industry officials.
China has been reporting some new outbreaks of African swine fever in recent months, but the problem is likely much worse than it appears. That’s both an opportunity for U.S. pork producers and a threat to their herds, according to U.S. industry and government officials.
China's corn imports will likely hit a record-breaking 28 million metric tons for the 2020-2021 marketing year as the country restocks its domestic reserves and deals with rising demand for livestock feed, according to the Beijing office of USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service.
The Philippines, already a big importer of U.S. pork, is lowering its tariffs to allow for more foreign supplies as the country continues to battle African swine fever, according to an announcement made Wednesday by the National Pork Producers Council.
Earlier this year, Germany faced a $1 billion loss in access to pork export markets after a single case of African Swine Fever (ASF) was detected in a wild boar. The population of feral swine in the United States, estimated between 4-9 million, also poses a threat to export security.
U.S. pork exports continue to break records, buoyed by unprecedented demand from China, where African swine fever decimated production, but American producers are preparing to adapt as the country quickly rebuilds its herd.
After seeing its domestic pork production decimated by an outbreak of African Swine Fever, China is aiming to recover enough to produce 95% of its pork within its own borders.
The Department of Agriculture recently released a plan that would allow for a nationwide hog standstill in the event of a potential outbreak of African Swine Fever in the United States.
