Pork prices up even as reserves released

The Financial Times reported that pork prices in China are at record levels even after Beijing pledged to decant some of its reserves on to the market this week in an attempt to tamp down the cost of the staple protein. When it comes to pig meat, China leads the world in terms of both supply and demand. But the swelling ranks of the middle class have put pork on more dinner tables every year — and driven up inflation. In March pork was singled out after prices rose 28.4% year-on-year, contributing 0.64 percentage points to headline inflation of 2.3%.