Due to concerns of pork related to recent outbreaks of African Swine Fever (ASF), China’s 2019 chicken meat production will grow to 12.65 million metric tons, an 8-percent year on year increase, according to a GAIN report.
China’s use of forced molting has allowed the poultry industry to quickly ramp up production, but the sector still remains constrained by limited access to new genetic stock. However, China is quickly overcoming this obstacle.
Chinese per capita consumption will increase by an average of 9-percent in 2019, in part due to food safety concerns related to ASF. Imports are set to increase to 450,000 MT, a 32-percent year-on-year increase. China’s largest supplier Brazil has reached a price-undertaking agreement with China that will exempt the major Brazilian exporters from anti-dumping tariffs imposed by China in 2019. Also, new and restored market access for Thailand, Poland, and Russia will also add to total imports.
Exports will hold steady at 455,000 MT, roughly 1-percent increase. Despite strong domestic prices, the Chinese poultry industry highly covets their overseas market access and will endeavor to maintain market share, even if it does so at a loss.
