Sow herd in China up in first two months of 2021

The Chinese Ministry of Agriculture reported that the number of sows rose slightly in January and February of this year, which is contrary to analysts' estimates.

According to a Reuters report, China's sow herd increased by 34.1% in February 2021 compared to the same period in 2020. The Ministry of Agriculture also reported that the number of sows has increased by 1% since January 2021. These figures give a more positive outlook than previous estimates by analysts and economists.

China's sow herd is under active control and monitoring following reports of outbreaks of African swine fever (ASF) from farm managers, veterinarians and analysts this winter.

China produces about half of the world's pigs, but its herd was decimated by repeated outbreaks of ASF during 2018 and 2019. Previous reports from the Ministry of Agriculture said that China's pig herd had nearly recovered by the end of 2020, but new outbreaks of ASF could delay the industry's full recovery.

Shandong-based Yongyi Consulting calculated that the number of sows has been declining every month since December, with a 4.99% fall in January and a further 4.68% fall in February.

The ministry said in a statement that the number of pigs rose by 1.1% and 1% respectively in January and February. By the end of February, the total number of sows in the country reached 95% of the level of the end of 2017, while the number of pigs remained 400 million heads higher.