China's pork supply will be stable in the second quarter of next
year as it takes about 18 months to breed more pigs, a top economic
planning official said today.
"Supply of pork has increased recently and the price has
stabilized, but short-term fluctuation is still inevitable, while
the possibility of another significant price hike is slim," said Bi
Jingquan, vice chairman of the National Development and Reform
Commission.
The demand may rise during the upcoming National Day holiday and
the Mid-Autumn Festival, Bi said.
However, the sufficient supply of non-staple food, such as beef,
mutton and eggs, can help stem the pork prices from surging, Bi
said.
As the biggest pork producer in the world, China is not likely
to import lots of pork from other countries because no country can
fulfill China's demand, Bi said.
Wholesale pork prices almost doubled in the first seven months
of this year due to short supplies and mounting production
costs.
(Shanghai Daily September 4, 2007)