National Pork Board officials say China is in the process of modernizing its pork industry in dealing with African Swine Fever. Minnesota pork producer Randy Spronk chairs the U.S. Meat Export Federation’s Pork Committee. He says the Chinese have been accelerating their modernization efforts they began earlier., and that in the next ten years they hope to have increased their pork production although much of that depends on how they can control ASF.
National Pork Board Vice President of international marketing Paul Bessac doesn’t see China as a chief competitor for global pork markets with the United States as he says they’ll concentrate on their domestic needs.
He says historically China has focused on their own domestic needs and he doesn’t see that changing despite their modernization of their pork industry.
Bessac says pork is a critical part of the Chinese diet with per capital consumption nearing 88 pounds per person per year. He says according to the Pork Checkoff’s recent research, U.S. pork is poised to help fill the urgent short term protein needs that ASF is creating in China due to the decrease in their domestic pig population.
