Rabobank Group has released a digital edition of China's Pork Industry Development Report predicting that China's pig meat supply will grow from the current 49 million tons to 60 million tons by 2020, with a 2% compounded annual growth rate.
The report also estimates that the total number of slaughterhouses in China will drop from the current 12,000 to 2,000 by 2020, while market share of mechanized slaughter will grow from 20% to 70%.
China has been shifting from a net pig meat exporter to a net importer since 2008. In the first six months of 2011, for example, pig meat imported from the U.S. reached 63,000 tons, accounting for 49% of total import. The country's short-term move has been to adjust pig meat trade volume in order to comply with domestic supply, according to the report, but numbers may shift again as domestic pig meat supply is expected to meet demand in 2012.
