Major protein producers in China including Wens Foodstuffs – the country’s top pig breeder – Cofco Meat and Beijing Dabeinong Technology say they are trying to increase the average weight of their pigs to make up for the pork shortage caused by the outbreak of African swine flu, said the South China Morning Post.
Large farms are focusing on boosting heft by at least 14%, Lin Guofa, a senior analyst with consulting firm Bric Agriculture Group, said. The average weight of pigs at slaughter at some large-scale farms has climbed to as much as 140kg, compared with about 110kg normally, Lin said. That could boost profits by more than 30%, he said.
The large swine are being bred during a desperate time for China. With African swine fever decimating the nation’s hog herd by half, prices of pork have soared to record levels, leading the government to urge farmers to boost production to temper inflation.
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