China Live Hog Price Plunges on Rising Disease, Growing Supply

Oct 30, 2023

China's live hog price fell almost 7% on Monday from a week ago, the biggest weekly decline this year, as fresh disease outbreaks led farms to send more pigs to slaughter for an already over-supplied market, said analysts.

Prices in the world's top pork market hit 14.06 yuan ($1.92) per kilogramme, according to data from Shanghai JC Intelligence Co Ltd, the lowest since late June.

"On the one hand, this is due to concentrated selling in some areas due to the impact of swine diseases," said analysts at Huachuang Securities in a note on Sunday.

Farmers often send pigs to slaughter before the herd becomes infected by spreading disease, depressing prices.

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Video: Assessing Welfare Resources During Late Finish - Dr. Anna Johnson & Emma Coursey

In this episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Anna Johnson from Iowa State University and Emma Coursey from the University of Illinois discuss research evaluating welfare resources during the late finishing stage on commercial swine farms. They explain how feeder management, water use, space allocation, and pig health influence welfare outcomes and practical on-farm management. Listen now on all major platforms!

"Small resource issues can become larger welfare problems when multiple stressors interact across finishing barns."

Meet the guests: Dr. Anna Johnson / anna-johnson-05028a14 is the Morrill Professor of Animal Behavior and Welfare at Iowa State University. She earned her Ph.D. in Animal Sciences from Texas Tech University and completed her master's degree in Applied Animal Behaviour and Welfare at the University of Edinburgh. Her research focuses on practical solutions that improve farm animal welfare, including sow productive lifetime, animal-human interaction, environmental enrichment, and Precision Livestock Farming.

Emma Coursey / emma-coursey-183810241 is pursuing a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree at the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine after earning a bachelor's degree in Animal Science from Iowa State University. Her academic interests include swine health, production, and animal welfare, with research experience evaluating welfare resources in commercial finishing pigs.