China drives surge in pork exports

Thanks to surging sales to China, pork exports were up by more than 18 per cent in volume (nearly 21 per cent by value) from January to September, says provincial livestock market analyst Jason Wood.

Total year-to-date pork exports were $3.75 billion (1.1 million tonnes), with China accounting for close to half of that — a 119 per cent gain versus a year earlier. China has been placing import suspensions on Canadian pork plants (most recently because of COVID-19 cases at those facilities).

Currently 10 pork plants can’t export to China, accounting for two-thirds of processing capacity. Usually, the suspension is resolved in six to eight weeks but “some plants in Canada have passed that milestone with no indication of when the export suspension may be lifted,” said Wood.

Alberta Farmer

Tags: pork exports, China