China has a national reserve of pigs and pork to stem the rapid
rise in prices, meat supply authorities said on Friday.
The average wholesale price of pork in 36 major cities in China
has risen 8.6 percent from last month to 14.5 yuan (US$1.89) per
kilogram. It has increased 43.1 percent when compared to the same
period last year, according to Ministry of Commerce statistics.
The price hike is due to an increase in the price of feed, and
fewer pigs raised by farmers following a fall in pork prices in the
past two years.
The price of corn, the main feed for pigs, has increased 19.7
percent in the first four months of this year. The market price is
now 1.52 yuan (20 US cents) per kilogram.
Li Xizhen, an official at the department of market operation
regulation of the Ministry of Commerce, said earlier this week, the
ministry will "closely watch prices" at pork markets and "be ready
to use national reserves if needed".
Hu Xin, deputy general manager of the China Merchandise Reserve
Management Center, a state-owned enterprise responsible for
national pork reserves, told China Daily yesterday: "The national
herd of pigs and frozen pork is enough to meet the needs of the
Ministry of Commerce in control measures."
The center issued an urgent notice to 239 national pork reserve
units under its management across the country on May 24, requiring
them to "guarantee the number of reserve pigs at farms and get
ready for emergency usage".
China has a national reservation of daily necessities to meet
emergencies. The government reserves cattle at livestock farms or
meat in cold storage plants across the country at a specified quota
every year. All meat reserves, especially pork, is replenished
every four months after it is put on the market.
(China Daily May 26, 2007)